By D. Thompson
It’s tough, it’s competitive and will bring together some of higher education’s best and brightest, including eight students from Bowie State University to participate in the 6th Annual HBCU Battle of the Brains contest today through Sunday, March 12 in Austin, Texas.
Sponsored by the National Football League, the HBCU Battle of the Brains draws teams totaling 300 students from 43 HBCUs to a 24-hour, interdisciplinary competition requiring students to develop solutions utilizing technology to solve problems confronting a particular business. Finalists will pitch their solutions to become the HBCU Battle of the Brains Champion at the conclusion of the event. First place scholarship winners will take home $50,000, the second place prize is $20,000 and third place winners receive $10,000 to support their college or university.
“In the Battle of the Brains competition, teams of students are challenged to utilize their critical thinking skills which is imperative in today’s world,” said Dr. Lethia Jackson, chair of Bowie State’s technology and security department. “All teams will be evaluated on their ability to thoroughly articulate the technology and business value of their solution, the team’s ability to incorporate current or future technology and their skill at presenting and pitching information to a panel of judges and answering their questions.”
The eight students representing Bowie State at the HBCU Battle of the Brains competition include junior Medina Daiyaan; junior Alivia Ross; junior Ian Modares; junior Steve Landry; senior Aaron Beach; sophomore Owogorga Ekpo; graduate student Elesha Jackson; and senior Saniha Jackson. All are computer technology majors except for graduate student Elesha Jackson who is pursuing a Master’s degree in Internet Technology or IoT.
All student team members will also participate in company tours and workshops to expand their skill sets and engage with corporate representatives and other students on a wide range of topics in panel discussions.
The HBCU Battle of the Brains serves as anational academic championship as well as an experiential diversity recruiting showcase of the nation’s top talent from HBCUs.
