The University of Houston's inaugural "Coogs for Energy" Hackathon has crowned its champions.
The event, hosted by UH's Division of Energy and Innovation's Energy Transition Institute, pitted 10 teams against each other to find the best solutions to some of the region's most pressing challenges.
The competition was sponsored by the Glen Bailey Foundation and ran from Feb. 21- 22. The event recognized three teams as its winners: Team Ecosix (first), Coog-nitive Sparks (second) and Friends Fueling Friends (third), earning the teams cash prizes of $6,000, $3,000 and $1,500 respectively.
"The 'Coogs for Energy' Hackathon, to me, was a huge success, given the student interest to participate, boosting success by developing technical and soft skills, fostering innovation … and enhancing confidence and motivation," said ETI COO Debalina Sengupta, who designed the event. "Going forward, this is an excellent way to provide a close working space for the industry and our brilliant minds at the Energy University."
Following the event, each of the winning teams elected a spokesperson to represent their group's experience competing in the hackathon.
Team Ecosix
Teammates: Glenys Yevi, Olanrewaju Daramola, David Odim, Afra Azim, Israel Trejo, Koseku Buzugbe
Topic: From Waste to Worth (Digestate)
Q: Aside from winning, what was most rewarding to you?
Glenys Yevi: What was most rewarding to me about the Hackathon was the ability to create something I genuinely believe will have a positive impact on the energy transition and the environment. It was important to me and my teammates that the impact went beyond the case competition and applied to the real world. This drove the depth of our work as a team, and the depth of my work when looking into the economic feasibility of our solution. To be able to confirm we have achieved this goal with the judges, and planning what next steps to take to further our goal was incredibly rewarding.
Q: How do you expect this experience to influence your future?
GY: Before this experience, I knew I wanted to dive deeper into sustainability and creating sustainable cycles, but participating in the Hackathon allowed me to view the topic from a broader perspective and confirmed my interest. In the future, I see myself continuing to sharpen my knowledge of sustainable cycles and working in related spaces. In the long term, I hope to create more sustainable cycle solutions and contribute to environmental sustainability in the U.S. and globally.
Q: What made you want to participate in this Hackathon?
GY: I knew I had an interest in sustainability and energy, and wondered, "How can I get involved with the right people?" I was struck by luck when my teammate, Daramola Olanrewaju, reached out to me on LinkedIn to participate in the Hackathon. When learning about the large scope of the projects, the possible impact we could make, and the mentors we would have the chance to work with, I immediately knew this was the opportunity I was looking for.
Coog-nitive Sparks
Teammates: Abdollah Zakeri, Milad Rezaie, Fateme Sabet, Parisa Yousefi, Bardia Nabavi, Delaram Mehrabaneshtehardi
Topic: Water for Energy, Energy for Water – Where is the nexus?
Q: What did you find most challenging about the Hackathon?
Abdollah Zakeri: Honestly, fitting a grand vision — treating oil wastewater while growing corn for ethanol — into such a short timeframe felt a bit like juggling flaming torches. We had to validate our idea, get the science right and still manage to stay awake for the final pitch. But hey, if the adrenaline rush doesn't keep you going, the endless coffee definitely will.
Q: How do you expect this experience to influence your future?
AZ: This whole hackathon lit a fire under my passion for sustainability. I've realized that with a little creativity — and maybe a few sleepless nights — you can tackle massive real-world challenges. Moving forward, I'm definitely motivated to dive deeper into combining tech and environmental solutions – because if corn can clean wastewater and fuel cars, what else might we be missing?
Q: What was something new you learned based on your topic?
AZ: I learned that corn is basically the overachiever of crops – it can feed people and become fuel. Who knew a simple ear of corn could be so impressive? It's like the superhero of the plant kingdom, and now I'll never look at popcorn the same way again.
Friends Fueling Friends
Teammates: Rebecca Ji, Amber Kaul, Derek Herrera, Diego Iglesias, Yun-Ling Wang, Hung Bui
Topic: Generative AI in Reducing Emissions
Q: What did you find most challenging about the Hackathon?
Rebecca Ji: One challenging thing about the Hackathon was the short turnaround period for research, pitching and presentation. Our team had to work extra hard and manage our time efficiently in order to develop our solution.
Q: How do you expect this experience to influence your future?
RJ: I never thought of pursuing a career in the energy sector, but since learning more about the industry, I am really interested in learning more about energy and the movement toward sustainable energy.
Q: What made you want to participate in this Hackathon?
RJ: A friend reached out to me and the money aspect was definitely a factor, but the introduction of the problem statements made me want to learn more to find a solution that could make an impact.
