Pitt Cyber, the School of Computing and Information, GSPIA’s Ford Institute for Human Security, Pitt Honors College, and Pitt Information Technology are hosting a new kind of hackathon—an intentionally transdisciplinary hackathon.

Each year, we pick seemingly intractable problems that call out for solutions from across disciplines and unleash students on them.

Thanks to Pitt’s Year of Creativity for the support of the 2020 hackathon

About the Event

Hacking4Humanity is Pitt’s annual multidisciplinary hackathon and was launched in 2019, with a focus on human trafficking. This year, participants in the virtual hackathon were asked to develop a solution for mitigating digital disinformation. Pitt students were invited to compete in three tracks: 

  • Tech Proposal:  propose a tech solution concept to combat disinformation  
  • Tech in Action:  develop a functioning prototype of a tech solution to mitigate disinformation  
  • Policy Proposal:  create an impactful but achievable course of action for a policymaker to address disinformation. 

The 2020 Hacking4Humanity winners are:

Tech Proposal  

  • Digital Deception – a story-based video game to teach players to identify and mitigate disinformation; Hannah Mencer, Undergrad, School of Computing and Information, 2024 

Tech in Action

  • Metis – a people-powered platform targeting disinformation; Guangrui Wang, Undergrad, School of Computing and Information, 2020  

Policy Proposal (tie) 

  • AI-Generated Disinformation – a proposal to the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the US House Energy Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Alex Zharichenko, Undergrad, School of Computing and Information; Hayden Stec, Undergrad, School of Computing and Information
  • Addressing Disinformation on Twitter – a proposal to Twitter on mitigating disinformation, Briana Wipf, Third year PhD student, English Department, Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts &Sciences, 2023 

Mentors

Thank you to our mentor volunteers! 

  • Faris Alotibi, University of Pittsburgh
  • Jamaal Davis, Allegheny County Department of Human Services
  • Jackie Deloplaine, Western PA All Hazards Fusion Center
  • Josh Hyman, University of Pittsburgh
  • Jacob Otto, University of Pittsburgh
  • Stephen Quigley, University of Pittsburgh
  • Jon Shine, University of Pittsburgh
  • David Wright, Nymbus Media