24-Hour Make-A-Thon Allows Students to Broaden Horizons

All Duquesne students are invited to compete in the spring 2021 Tech Ethics Make-A-Thon, an event that challenges participants to quickly develop ideas that will change the world.

Tech Ethics: Make-A-ThonHosted by the Grefenstette Center for Ethics in Science, Technology and Law, the 24-hour inaugural competition will take place from 3 p.m. Friday, April 9, to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 10. Following the theme Ethics in Technology, the Make-A-Thon’s challenges will be issued at the start of the 24-hour period.

“The Make-A-Thon is an opportunity for all students to put their creative talents and passion on display,” said John Slattery, directing fellow of the Grefenstette Center. “Students are encouraged to engage with the many ethical issues around technology in any form, whether it’s drafting a policy, coding an app, writing a tech proposal, making a video, building a robot or any other creative solution.”

During that time, a student or team of students will compete to deliver a proposal, code a project, draft an idea, develop a prototype or offer any other creative solution to meet the challenge. Faculty and staff are encouraged to share information about the Make-A-Thon with students and urge them to participate.

Prizes include:

  • $1,000 cash grand prize
  • $500 second place
  • $300 third place.

Specific prizes also will be awarded:

  • $200 Office of Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion prize
  • $200 Elsinore Bennu Think Tank Prize for Restorative Justice
  • $200 Women in STEM prize
  • $200 Division of Mission and Identity prize.

The Tech Ethics Make-A-Thon offers students the opportunity to work alongside one another while expanding their horizons to create global solutions.

This virtual event will run on Zoom and Discord. More details, including a registration link, are available on the Make-A-Thon website.