SPS Zone 9 Meeting 2026

Meeting Date: April 18-19, 2026

Location: Rock Island, IL

Host: Augustana College SPS Chapter

Reported By: Minh Nguyen, Augustana College, Kazi Uzayr Razin, Augustana College

HackAugie 2026 Narrative

Written by Minh Nguyen (Augustana College, HackAugie Sponsorship Co-Chair)

HackAugie 2026 wasn’t just a hackathon—it was two days of chaos, creativity, and surprisingly good vibes.

Day 1 kicked off with a room full of energy (and maybe a little nervousness). With around 146 participants from 20+ colleges and universities, a lot of people were first-time hackers. You could tell at first—people were a bit unsure, sizing things up—but that quickly changed. Our keynote speaker, Steven Le, set the tone perfectly by framing the whole experience as an adventure. Not a competition, not something to stress over—just go build, explore, and see what happens. That mindset shift was real. People went from “what am I doing here?” to “okay… let’s try something cool.”

Then came networking, which honestly didn’t feel like “networking” in the usual stiff way. With 30+ mentors, judges, and sponsors walking around, students were trying out VR tech, asking questions, and just having genuine conversations. It felt more like a tech playground than a formal event.

After that, we refueled with Chinese food (which, let’s be honest, always hits), and jumped into workshops. There was something for everyone—Google Developer Group ran a session on Google Gemini, an Augustana alum talked about navigating careers in the middle of the AI boom, and Doug Tschopp led a design thinking workshop that got people actually rethinking how they approach problems. Then… the hacking began.

And when we say hacking, we mean *intense* building—with breaks that somehow made everything even more fun. There was pizza, a completely unexpected typing competition (which got weirdly competitive), and then karaoke night. What started as “just for fun” turned into a full-on concert. At some point, it genuinely felt like we were recreating Coachella—except with sleep-deprived college students and a lot more enthusiasm.

Day 2 was where everything came together. After a long night, teams pulled through and submitted 36 projects across healthcare, financial technology, sustainability, gaming, hardware, and more. And these weren’t just rushed ideas—there was some seriously impressive work.

The expo was one of the best parts. Instead of just presenting to judges, teams got to show their projects to everyone—other students, mentors, anyone curious enough to stop by. It felt collaborative, not competitive. People were asking questions, giving feedback, and genuinely hyped about each other’s work.

Some projects really stood out—and not just for their creativity, but because they took home top prizes in their tracks. The Adaptive Assistive Cane (AAC) from Augustana College won the Hardware track, tackling accessibility in a super practical way—a low-cost device (under $50!) that gives real-time feedback to help users navigate safely. Considering similar products can cost anywhere from $300 to $1000+, that was a big deal. Another standout was “Droplet” from Illinois Wesleyan, which won the Sustainability track. The team combined sensors and software to track water usage in real time—a simple idea with real-world impact.

What made these hardware projects even more meaningful is that they wouldn’t have been possible without the support from the Society of Physics Students (SPS), whose funding provided hardware toolkits for participants. That support gave students the ability to move beyond just ideas on a screen and actually build physical, working prototypes—something that clearly paid off.

By the time we got to the closing ceremony (after some well-earned Indian food—again, no complaints there), the vibe had shifted one last time. It wasn’t just excitement anymore—it was pride. The HackAugie organizing team and the founder of the Google Developer Group at Augustana wrapped things up, but it felt less like an ending and more like a “we actually pulled this off” moment.

At the end of it all, people didn’t just leave with projects or prizes. They left with new friends, new confidence, and that feeling of “I didn’t think I could do this… but I did.” For a lot of first-time hackers, that’s a pretty big win.

And honestly? That’s what made HackAugie 2026 so special.

Zone 9 Meeting Report
Written by Kazi Uzayr Razin (Augustana College SPS Member and Associate Zone Councilor for Zone 9)

Agenda

HackAugie was structured as a 24-hour student-run hackathon where participants collaborated in teams to develop innovative solutions within a limited timeframe. A central component of the event was the Hardware Track, which focused on the design and prototyping of physical systems that interact with the real world.

In this track, teams were tasked with building a functional device that senses and responds to environmental or user inputs to address a real-world problem, with emphasis on areas such as assistive technology and environmental monitoring. Participants were required to:

• Use at least one sensor (e.g., temperature, light, ultrasonic distance, accelerometer, or soil moisture)
• Produce a real-time response (not just passive data logging)
• Stay within an approximate $50 component budget

Each team worked with a Raspberry Pi-based hardware kit, along with breadboards, jumper wires, and output components such as LEDs, buzzers, and small displays. The challenge emphasized the integration of input (sensing) → processing → output (actuation) into a cohesive system.

Additionally, participants had access to shared fabrication and testing resources, including soldering stations, multimeters, and 3D printers, allowing for more advanced prototyping and iteration.
The final deliverables for each team included:

• A working physical prototype
• A short demo (1.5–3 minutes)
• A technical explanation of the system, problem addressed, and future improvements

Participating Chapters / Institutions
The primary SPS-related participation included students from:

• University of Wisconsin–Platteville
• University of Wisconsin–Whitewater
• Knox College
• Augustana College

Additional participants attended from nearby institutions, including:

• Blackhawk Community College
• Western Illinois University
• University of Illinois Chicago
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Marketing efforts were distributed across the SPS Zone through general university outreach channels, SPS email list, and Instagram.

Participants (specifically from an SPS Chapter):
Ellie Baker — Augustana College
Karen Ogulla — Augustana College
Andy Nguyen — Augustana College
Wassim Elmabrak — Augustana College
Kamlesh Kumar — Knox College
Zayd Khan — Illinois Wesleyan University
Brady Paul — University of Wisconsin–Platteville
Claire Roca — University of Wisconsin–Platteville
Cody Vargo — University of Wisconsin–Platteville
Fen Stephan — University of Wisconsin–Platteville
Fox Gerner — University of Wisconsin–Platteville
Erick Rodriquez — University of Wisconsin–Whitewater
Nickolaus Shaw — University of Wisconsin–Platteville
Sneha Tandan — Augustana College
Mohamed Amir Souleymane Ousman — Augustana College
Yashash Sthapit — Augustana College

Recommendations
For future iterations, it is recommended to incorporate a dedicated SPS/physics-focused session or activity within the hackathon schedule. While the Hardware Track successfully engaged students in applied physics and engineering design, adding a structured SPS-specific component (e.g., a physics design challenge, technical workshop, or networking session) would further strengthen alignment with SPS goals and increase chapter-level engagement.