Students Get “Immersed” at Prestigious Hackathon

In late January, five graduate students from the School of Architecture and Design participated in the prestigious, invitation-only MIT Reality Hackathon 2025.

The students, joined by Department of Digital Art and Design Chair and Assistant Professor Kevin Park, were among 450 worldwide participants chosen to attend the prestigious invitation-only event, which took place January 23 to 27 at MIT’s campus in Cambridge, Mass.

Standing alongside teams from Meta, Snapchat, MIT, Harvard, and other top institutions, students leveraged experiential and emerging technology, such as virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI), to create solutions for real-world challenges across education, healthcare, aerospace, and social impact. The event also provided an excellent opportunity for students to connect with the industry’s leading companies and receive guidance on business ideas from leading investors and startup mentors.

“Competing on a global stage has challenged us to push boundaries, connect with industry leaders, and grow both as individuals and as a team. This experience has shaped our perspectives and opened doors for future opportunities,” says Vaishnavi Newaskar, a student in the UX/UI Design and Development, M.A. program. Newaskar worked on a mixed-reality prototype designed to make music creation more accessible by eliminating the need for expensive or bulky equipment. 

Four students earned recognition in various categories and proved their abilities in extended reality, AI, immersive design, and entrepreneurship:

• Second Place in the category of Aerospace Exploration: Samantha Guzman (UX/UI Design and Development, M.A.) for the project“HangarPro VR,” a virtual training platform designed to address the global shortage of aircraft mechanics by using advanced analytics to enhance aviation safety and workforce efficiency.

• Honorable Mention in the category of Social Extended Reality: Elizabeth Ward (Graphic Design and Media Innovation, M.F.A.) for the project “The People’s Garden,” a mixed-reality initiative empowering communities to create urban gardens in areas with food insecurity.

• Selected for Founder’s Lab/Entrepreneurship Track: Nouman Wajid (UX/UI Design and Development, M.A.) for the project “Augmented Aisle,” an in-store XR shopping experience with AI assistance (top image); Woohee Byun (UX/UI Design and Development, M.A.) for the project “Rehab Quest,” a mixed-reality physical therapy game designed to engage pediatric patients in rehabilitation.

“For the third time, New York Tech’s Digital Art and Design students earned recognition at the MIT Reality Hackathon, making this achievement even more special,” says Park. “Being acknowledged on a global stage alongside top innovators highlights the strength of our students and the impact of our program.”