The c0mpiled-6/pennstate event will be held on February 27 from 4-11 PM in the Engineering Design and Innovation building. Credit: Penn State.
Engineering entrepreneurship program to host 'sprint hackathon' Feb. 27
Feb 18, 2026
By Tucker Leighty-Phillips
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The School of Engineering Design & Innovation’s (SEDI) Engineering Entrepreneurship (E-SHIP) program is hosting a hackathon event, titled “c0mpiled-6/pennstate,” on Friday, Feb. 27, from 4 to 11 p.m. in the Engineering Design and Innovation Building. The event is a partnership with San Francisco-based venture capital firm Transpose Platform, and was organized by Het Sheth, a senior in computer science at Penn State, and Ishaan Narang, a junior in computer science, with support from professors Ted Graef and Brad Groznik.
The theme for the event is “AI for Productivity and Research” and intends to be a high-intensity “sprint” hackathon, complementing the biannual HackPSU event, Penn State’s largest hackathon event. HackPSU’s next event is March 28 in the ECoRE Building.
“Our event is modeled after the fast-paced builder culture experienced in San Francisco and the Bay Area,” Sheth said. “It’s smaller, highly technical and focused on a specific challenge topic.”
The event theme was selected to challenge students to build tools that use generative AI to accelerate scientific discovery, automate workflows or revolutionize aspects of research, education or productivity.
Sheth has had recent success at other Hackathon events, including three wins: one at "Cal Hacks," a hackathon organized by UC-Berkeley, Y-Combinator and "c0mpiled-1" in California, organized by Transpose Platform. Sheth said he hopes bringing more events to campus will highlight Penn State students as leaders in the national AI conversation.
Sheth is also in the process of forming a new student organization, the Builders Collective at Penn State, which will create opportunities for students to participate in “building,” or creating tangible projects in hardware and software using a variety of tools.
“Builders Collective at Penn State will aim to keep Penn State students competitive in the national hackathon circuit year-round,” Sheth said.
Over $7,500 in prizes will be awarded, and food and drinks will be provided for participants. The website and registration link can be found here. Teams are encouraged to register — although each participant must register individually — but there will also be an opportunity for individuals to meet other participants at the start of the event.
For questions, contact Sheth at hfs5414@psu.edu.
Share this story:
