SDSU’s Big Data Hackathon tackles San Diego homelessness

The Big Data Hackathon, encouraged participants to ask daunting questions and tackle civil challenges. Open to all —  journalists, engineers, and programmers utilized open data sets to devise information technology solutions in the name of creating a better San Diego.

Beyond professional development, the November #Hack4SD served as a cultural networking hub for data science enthusiasts. Participants were paired in teams, fostering new personal connections and expansive collaboration across disciplines. More than 120 students came together from SDSU, UCSD, CSUSM, and community colleges to form 28 teams competing for first through fourth place, most innovative, and strongest teamwork prizes. 

The theme: "Innovating to Tackle Homelessness in San Diego County” brought participants together in a competition to develop data-centered remedies for homelessness. By using data-driven technology, teams were prompted to explore "solutions [that] improve access, wellbeing, and opportunity for unhoused communities." The Hackathon theme this year, tied into The National Science Foundation’s Build and Broaden (B2) Program.

The 2025 #Hack4SD yielded impressive projects covering a range of topics to include thermal mapping, resource dissemination, community-building, mental health awareness, and mobile app development. A team of four — Tue (Dolphin) Tran, Rahwa Woldu, Adrian Aguilar, and Karina Haddad — took the first-place $1,000 prize for their project titled “DARK.” The proposal blends artificial intelligence and human empathy to create a privacy-first messaging system for quick and reliable access to shelter, food, and support. 

“I want to acknowledge the first-prize winning team (DARK),” said Ming-Hsiang Tsou, founder and director of San Diego State University’s Center for Human Dynamics in the Mobile Age (HDMA).“This team includes four SDSU undergraduate students from various departments (CS, MIS, Business Administration, and Journalism & Media Studies). This team truly demonstrated the important value of multi-disciplinary collaboration.” 

With a diverse community of big data enthusiasts united in the search for solutions to San Diego’s homelessness crisis, this year’s hackathon came to a fruitful close. “I am very impressed by the innovative ideas and high quality of prototyping design/presentations from our participating teams,” Tsou said.