UMD’s Technica Hackathon Commemorates 10 Years of Empowering Underrepresented Genders in Tech

The world’s largest hackathon of its kind returns to its roots while expanding its global reach.

What started as a small initiative to create a more inclusive tech space at the University of Maryland has grown far beyond the UMD campus. Technica, UMD’s premier hackathon for underrepresented genders, marks its 10th anniversary on October 26-27, 2024—and its student leaders are orchestrating an ambitious celebration of its impact and evolution.

Co-Executive Directors Mary Redpath and Erica Herrera Huaman playfully call the upcoming event a “super nerd birthday bash,” but it’s also a special homecoming of sorts for Technica and its 800-plus participants.

“Technica is coming back to the Armory on campus, back to where it all began,” said Redpath, a senior computer science major. “While we’ll still have an online component and invite people from all over the world, we made significant efforts in getting closer to the community on campus.”

“We’re emphasizing our origins and collaborating more than we ever have with other campus organizations for this year’s Technica,” added Herrera Huaman, a senior mathematics and physics double-degree student. “Our goal is to thank the people who made it possible to create this event that means so much to us and so many others.”

Redpath and Herrera Huaman are working with campus groups like Startup Shell and the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing (I4C) to make the event even more accessible and expand its offerings. I4C, a collaborator since 2019 hosts the event’s research track, where hackers engage with faculty and graduate students on real-world research projects.

“When the Maryland Center for Women in Computing and Technica both started in 2014, the computing community looked radically different than it does today,” said I4C Associate Director Kate Atchison. “Technica’s student organizers have done amazing work over the last 10 years to grow the event into what it is now. We’re excited to continue our collaboration and help provide even more leadership opportunities for our students while building out a robust community for the larger computing ecosystem.”

Leaping down a rabbit hole

This year’s theme, Wonder Awaits, was inspired by the whimsical world of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.” Redpath and Herrera Huaman said they wanted to replicate the sense of wonder they felt when they attended their very first Technica hackathon and bring new attendees on an adventure—much like the fantastical experiences of the novel’s main character Alice.

Redpath and Herrera Huaman first discovered Technica after hearing about the event from roommates and friends in 2021. For both, Technica represented an exciting opportunity to explore computing though they had only limited prior experience.

“I always wanted to do research involving coding or computing but never had a chance to in high school,” recalled Herrera Huaman, who now conducts biophysics research by coding scripts for image analyses on how cells move and attack disease. “Hearing about Technica and people’s past experiences with it made me think that it was an opportunity to just jump in, so I signed up, attended a few workshops and joined the Discord community. And now, I work in the lab of Physics Professor Arpita Upadhyaya where I use many of the skills I first developed at Technica.”

Redpath, who has a similar story, remembers feeling intimidated by computer science at first. Coming from a rural area without access to computing classes, she found herself surrounded by peers who had attended specialized tech programs in high school. Technica allowed her to build both confidence and basic coding skills. The connections and experience she gained through the event helped her secure valuable internships including two summers with Appian, one of the corporate sponsors of UMD’s Department of Computer Science.

“I liked that Technica lets you start as a beginner,” Redpath said. “You don’t have to worry about how much you know or didn’t know.”

This inclusive atmosphere has remained at the heart of Technica’s mission. Over the years, the event evolved to embrace both in-person and virtual participation, ensuring accessibility for attendees from diverse backgrounds. Herrera Huaman recalls last year’s Technica, where the team introduced an interactive virtual space complete with a digital podium and celebratory confetti to help remote participants from a variety of backgrounds fully engage in the experience.

“We’re committed to an intersectional approach,” she explained. “We don’t just look at gender, but how ethnicity, race, class and even age can affect people’s ability to attend. And this shapes everything, from planning bus routes to providing laptops for the participants who need them.”

As Technica celebrates its 10th anniversary, Redpath and Herrera Huaman believe that it also remains true to its original spirit: to be a space where someone can walk in knowing nothing about coding and leave with new skills, friends and endless opportunities.

Attendees can expect a jam-packed weekend filled with prizes, networking, career development and activities tailored to all levels of coding experience. Most notably, Technica is free to all attendees, with lodging, food and travel covered.

“It’s still fundamentally a ‘nerd sleepover,’ just one that’s grown to empower participants across the globe,” Herrera Huaman said.