From October 24–26, the UTEP Computer Science Department, in partnership with the STTE Foundation, El Paso Labs, and Capital One, hosted their second AI Hackathon: The Biggest AI Hackathon in the Borderland. The event brought together 150 registered participants, including high school students, UTEP students across multiple disciplines, and professional developers, all seeking hands-on experience with emerging AI tools and real-world challenges.

Over an intensive 36 hour period, teams designed and built AI-driven solutions addressing issues relevant to the region and beyond. Using platforms such as LangChain, Browserbase, n8n, and Supabase, participants created projects focused on finance, hiring, housing, public safety, and energy systems. Teams presented their prototypes to a panel of industry and technology judges and competed for prizes of up to $5,000.

To strengthen the learning experience, the hackathon offered technical workshops facilitated by El Paso Labs and Capital One. These sessions introduced participants to AI application development, workflow automation, prompt engineering, and best practices for deploying reliable and ethical AI systems. Mentors and volunteers from UTEP’s Computer Science Department provided support throughout the event, helping teams refine their ideas and navigate technical challenges.

The hackathon concluded with the announcement of the winning teams, each recognized for creativity, technical execution, and community impact.

Main Stage Winners:

First place - Pythons:

Vianey Martinez

Jacob Luna

Juancarlos Escobar

Benjamin Silva

Second place - Cache Out:

Karla Galilea Monroy

Andi Scarola

Jonathan Kim

Francisco Fernando Cavazos

Third place - Team Victor:

Gabriel Isaac Alonso Serrato

Ricardo Ibaven

Ashkan Arabi

Carol Yanez

Victor Manuel Hermosillo Marquez

Fourth place – Infinite Loop of Hope:

Johana Hermosillo Gutierrez

Enrique Calleros

Danilo Romero

Angel Ramses Salazar Portillo

Fifth place - The Neural Miners

Ugyen Dorji

Matthew Mendoza

Isaac Zarate

Salvador Anguiano

This semester’s event highlights the growing momentum of the Borderland’s AI ecosystem and reaffirms the Computer Science Department’s commitment to fostering innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and experiential learning. Planning for future hackathons is already underway, with efforts aimed at expanding participation, strengthening industry partnerships, and continuing to support students in developing practical AI skills.