Students use AI to solve everyday challenges at recent Fail-a-Thon 

George Mason University is preparing students to transform setbacks into stepping stones with a “Fail-a-Thon," a hackathon event where failing forward is the goal. 

The event, hosted by the College of Engineering and Computing, encouraged students to explore bold ideas under two themes: artificial intelligence (AI) for everyday challenges and tech for well-being and creativity.  

Junior computer science major Oluwatomisin Badmus and his partner, junior applied computer science major Chesney Noye, working under the team name “AfroHacks,” took first place.  

Badmus and Noye are international students and wanted to emphasize the importance of checking in with one another within their community. The duo used an AI coding tool to build an application that allows users to log their current mood over the course of the day, and the system then uses the logged mood when responding to questions. 

“You might describe it as a mood-aware AI chatbot,” explained Badmus.  

They were able to complete a working version of the application to present to the judges. The team 808s won 2nd place and the Three Musketeers won 3rd.  

“I'm very passionate about AI, so I make sure to take advantage of every educational opportunity regarding AI. I hope to apply that knowledge in my work to make an impact both in and out of school,” said Badmus, an Honors College student.  

Badmus said he has participated in other George Mason hackathons and competitions at other institutions such as Morgan State, John Hopkins University, and online. Badmus encouraged Noye to participate in the event with him in hopes that he would also find the experience rewarding.  

“I’ve always wanted to participate in a hackathon, so when I saw the flyer for the Fail-a-thon, I knew it would be a great opportunity to gain experience in a relatively low-stakes environment,” said Noye, who has a concentration in software engineering. 

Noye said hackathons always seemed too intimidating, but he was encouraged by the fail-a-thon's easygoing approach.  

“Having an event centered around failing gave people room to go out there with their ideas, and getting to see all the projects everyone else came up with was great,” he said.  

“Getting to share stories with the other participants there on where our projects failed, what weird bugs we had, and how different our initial ideas and final products ended up was a great bonding moment and really helped normalize the idea that failing is okay,” said Noye. 

The students had two hours to build real-world practical projects using provided AI tools. Many of the project features were built and working, and judges and attendees could see them live during the presentations.  

“Watching students turn ideas into functional solutions in just two hours was genuinely exciting and inspiring,” said Humaira Akhtari, a term instructor in the Department of Information Science and Technology and one of three faculty judges at the event. 

Other judges included professors Socrates Dimitriadis and Maha Shamseddine from the Department of Computer Science. 

“I kept telling the teams, ‘I would be the first person to use your app’ because their ideas were genuinely useful. Seeing students build practical solutions, collaborate across disciplines, and confidently present their work made the experience incredibly rewarding,” said Akhtari. “It brings me so much joy seeing my students grow beyond the classroom. Whether it’s capstone presentations, Fail-a-Thon, or Engineering Week, I love seeing how my students are thriving.”  

Students from electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, IST, and cyber security engineering participated. The mix of backgrounds really elevated the ideas and discussions, said Akhtari.  

When evaluating projects, judges looked at creativity, risk-taking, learning through failure, and how well teams communicated their ideas.   

“Rather than penalizing mistakes, we looked for evidence of iteration, reflection, and growth. The goal was to celebrate experimentation and meaningful learning,” said Akhtari.  

“Events like Fail-a-Thon create a safe space where students learn that failure is not something to avoid—it’s part of the process. This mindset is essential not only in academics, but also in entrepreneurship and real-world problem solving,” said Akhtari.

One team built a study management tool where students could upload their course syllabus, and the app would automatically generate a personalized study plan based on upcoming assignments and deadlines. 

Another team designed a nutrition app that helps users track dietary preferences like Halal, vegan, and other restrictions.   

There were also projects focused on productivity, motivation, and wellness—apps that help users stay on track with their schedules, motivate them to stay consistent at the gym, or even guide users while grocery shopping based on their calorie goals.