About
MakeUC is a 24-hour hackathon hosted by IEEE at the University of Cincinnati. MakeUC was first held as a fully-online hackathon in the fall of 2020. We then had our first hybrid hackathon in 2021, which was a huge success! We have continued hosting MakeUC both in person and online every fall since then, and we always do our best to improve the hacker experience from year to year. We consistently have over two dozen amazing sponsors, hundreds of registrants, tens of thousands of dollars in prizes, and plenty of fun activities.
Here, we believe that the most critical challenges must be solved by interdisciplinary and diverse teams. All you need to participate is a passion for technology and bettering the world. You will have tools, APIs, and workshops at your fingertips to help you learn and accomplish your vision. Whether you are an experienced hacker or a complete beginner, you are welcome at MakeUC. We cannot wait to see what you all create!
The MakeUC hackathon is brought to by
IEEE@UC .
Past Hackathons
Tracks
Hardware
- Use microcontrollers, sensors, or actuators to build a prototype
- Integrate hardware with software (firmware, APIs, or mobile/web UIs)
- Address power, safety, and reliability for the device
- Demonstrate a working, repeatable prototype during the event
Education
- Improve accessibility or inclusivity in learning
- Create engaging, interactive learning experiences
- Provide meaningful assessment or feedback mechanisms
- Design for scalability and real-world classroom use
Social Issues
- Raise awareness or empower affected communities
- Provide inclusive solutions with clear impact
- Demonstrate ethical considerations and privacy safeguards
- Show a plan for community adoption or outreach
Security
- Identify a real security problem or vulnerability
- Implement measures to protect user data and systems
- Demonstrate attack/defense scenarios and mitigations
- Include threat modeling and practical deployment guidance
