We are a student-led organization focused on empowering students with hands-on experience, technical growth, and strong networks in tech fields such as cybersecurity, machine learning, cloud computing, and digital forensics.
CRIC Club aims to stimulate and challenge students in the field of technology, building an interconnected group of tech enthusiasts prepared for the workforce.
We strive to:
We are MSSU students passionate about solving real-world problems through technology. Whether you’re new to programming or an advanced developer, this club offers you the opportunity to learn, grow, and innovate together.
LionHogTech Hackathon 2026
September 18–20, 2026 | Online
High school and undergraduate students from Arkansas and Missouri worked with a real agricultural dataset from Bayer. The top three teams presented their work at the AI in Agriculture Symposium on September 21 in Fayetteville, AR.
Event page: https://lionhogtech.com
Guest Talk: Data & AI from a Product Lens
Speaker: Darsana Usha Devi, Senior Manager, Product Management, Walmart
September 28, 2026
Game Night with Pizza
Monday, February 23 | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Plaster Hall, Breakout Room
Pizza provided. Students brought their favorite board, card, and party games.
Guest Lecture: The CIS Graduate’s Guide to a Post-AI World
Presenter: Scott Blevins Director of AI, Midwestern
March 9, 2026
Guest Lecture: Designing Agentic AI Systems
Presenter: Mathavan Sri Rengachary, Principal Architect, Walmart
March 12, 2026
Industry Visit: Stronghold Data
Thursday, February 27 | 3:00 PM | Stronghold Data
IT professionals shared insights on the IT industry, in-demand technical skills, career pathways in technology, and professional expectations in the field.
Annual Hackathon: LionHog Tech
Other Fall 2025 Highlights
Speaker Series
Competitions & Wins
Speaker Series
Holiday Challenge
“Why Computer Information Science (CIS) Is the Career of the Future | MSSU” by Swarna Sethu.
CIS students James Horan and Oliver Tasset represented MSSU at HogHacks 2026, the ACM-sponsored hackathon hosted by the University of Arkansas.
Research Symposium 2026: Poster CompetitionSeven CIS students presented six posters across multiple categories.
Congratulations to Timothy Roussoeau, CIS student for earning First and second place across Education and Humanities categories.
Congratulations to Katherine Gilstrap CIS student for earning Second Place in the Business, Engineering, and Technology category.
ACM HogHacks 2025
LionHogTech is a cross-state hackathon that began as a collaboration between the MSSU CRIC Club and the Smart Agricultural and Food Engineering Lab at the University of Arkansas. In 2026, it was organized by the University of Arkansas Biological and Agricultural Engineering department and co-organized by MSSU, and held online September 18–20. High school and undergraduate students from Arkansas and Missouri worked with a real agricultural dataset from Bayer. The top three teams, Millet Minds, FieldWise and Tokens, presented their work at the AI in Agriculture Symposium in Fayetteville.
Learn more: https://lionhogtech.com
CRIC is open to all MSSU students interested in technology, innovation, and real-world problem-solving.
Club Meetings
How to Join
Assistant Professor, CIS – Technology Department, MSSU
Previous Officers – Spring 2026
Previous Officers – 2025
