Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) will host LionHogTech, a 24-hour student hackathon with the University of Arkansas (U of A) beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17 and concluding on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 5:30 p.m.
LionHogTech is hosted by the Cognitive Robotics and IoT Consortium (CRIC) in the Computer Information Science (CIS) program at MSSU. The event is open to high school, undergraduates, and graduate students of all skill levels and disciplines. This year, the free hackathon will be co-hosted by the Smart Agricultural and Food Engineering (SAFE) Lab in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at U of A.
LionHogTech challenges student teams to design and build a fully functional application or solution based on a unique theme revealed each year. Participants collaborate intensively over 24 hours, coding, designing and problem-solving before presenting their projects to a panel of judges.
“MSSU’s leadership ensures that LionHogTech provides a high-impact, interdisciplinary learning experience, empowering students to innovate, collaborate, and apply their skills in real-world challenges,” said Dr. Swarna Sethu, assistant professor of Computer Information Science at MSSU.
2025 marks the inaugural year of LionHogTech. Dr. Sethu completed her postdoctoral research under Dr. Dongyi Wang, director of U of A’s SAFE Lab, and their shared vision led to this event.
“Starting with this year’s hackathon, MSSU and U of A will alternate hosting the event annually, strengthening academic collaboration, expanding reach, and providing richer learning experiences for students at both institutions,” said Sethu.
In addition to the application of technical knowledge and the collaboration between teammates, prizes will be awarded to the winners of the hackathon.
“LionHogTech is a celebration of student potential,” Sethu said. “It’s a springboard for future careers in tech, research, and entrepreneurship.”
For more information and to register for LionHogTech, please visit the webpage: https://lionhogtech.com/
