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Welcome to PantherHack!

April 11th-13th, 2026

Schedule for Event


Time Event
Friday (4/11)
7:00 - 7:30 PM Opening ceremony
7:30 - 8:00 PM Intro to Hackathons - Club Leaders
Saturday (4/12)
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM Intro to Keyboard Building - Ankith Namireddy '26
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM IOS Game Development - Aaliyah Sayed '21 (Princeton University)
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Cybersecurity: UnDisruptable27 - Where Bits and Bytes meet Flesh and Blood - Joshua Corman (Institute for Security and Technology)
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Alumni Panel on Careers in Tech - Michael Highland '03 (BUCK Games), Bernard Ozarowski '03 (Pixis Drones), Robert Jellinek '03 (Amazon), Erica Hyman '07 (Spotify), Dina Sharon '10 (MIT, D.E. Shaw), Cole Wolk '18 (Promoted.ai), Jai Kasera '23 (Duke University), Arshaan Sayed '23 (Duke University) in conversation with Head of School Dr. Nicholson-Flynn
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Game Development: The Making of the Electric State - Kid Cosmo - Michael Highland '03 (BUCK Games)
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM Recompose: Cognitive Composting – A Depth-Vision Multisampling Method for Food Waste Weight and Emission Data for Real-Time Group Behavior Shaping - Umang Sharma '26
5:30 PM - 6:00 PM Intro to Java - Justin Philip '26
6:00 PM - 6:30 PM Assessing ESG Compliance and Impact: A Zero-Shot Learning Approach to Analyzing Fortune 500 Companies' Sustainability Reports - Armaan Agrawal '25
6:30 PM - 7:00 PM Working With AI - Vivann Khanna '26
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Chess Tournament - Andrew Dai '26
Sunday (4/13)
10:00 AM Hacking period ends
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Judging Hackathon Projects with: PDS faculty/staff: Theodor Brasoveanu, Jon Ostendorf, Marina MacDonald, Priti Matta, Melissa Myser. Alumni: Aaliyah Sayed '21 (Princeton University), Max Scheil '22 (SUNY Poly)
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Closing ceremony - Club Leaders

FAQ

What is a hackathon?
A hackathon is a coding marathon in which coders collaborate to create any type of project that they wish — a game, website, app, or actual product — in just one weekend. Both beginner and advanced coders alike can attend a hackathon to learn about tech, build innovative solutions to real-world problems, and share their creations with the community. If you want to put your coding skills to the test, make friends with fellow hackers, or get more experience, hackathons are for you.

When and Where is PantherHack?
PantherHack is virtual, so anyone in the country can participate. The hackathon will take place from Friday 7pm to 9pm, Saturday 9am - 9pm, and Sunday 9 to 1:30 p.m.

Who can attend this event?
PantherHack is only available for high school students. All participants must also adhere to the MLH Code of Conduct.

How can I stay updated?
PantherHack will have a discord server where we will give all our announcements and reminders. After filling out the registration form, a Discord link will be emailed to you.

What prizes can I win?
PantherHack fosters an open learning environment, and we put collaboration above competition. However, there will still be sweet prizes for the best hacks, all of which will be announced soon.

What if I can’t find a team?
The ideal number of teammates are from 2-4. Get a friend or a few to work with you for the ideal experience. If you are unable to find a team, we will have a team building workshop to help you find like-minded coders to work with.

What workshops can I attend?
PantherHack will include 30 minute to 1 hour introductory workshops such as Machine Learning, Python, Web Development, Hackathon Planning, and more.

What gaming events will be available?
PantherHack plans to host two gaming tournaments with prizes for the winners. These include chess and Estimathon.

What if my question wasn't answered?
If you have any questions that weren’t answered in the FAQ, please feel free to Email Us. or DM us on Instagram.

Why PantherHack?

Smart People, Interesting Workshops, Cool Projects

Event Sponsors

PantherHack would not be possible without the generosity of our sponsors!

Client
Client
Client
Client

Our Team

Meet the Organizers that made PantherHack Possible!

Umang Sharma

Umang Sharma


Tech & Design, Director
Umang Sharma is a junior at Princeton Day School. He has a passion for computer science and engineering, originating from building computers and keyboards. He has been involved in computer science since second grade, to now in 10th grade, taking Object Oriented Programming. Additionally, his love for photography allows him to capture moments that tell compelling stories. He is deeply fascinated by the world of technology and constantly seeks to stay updated with the latest advancements. Through his skills and expertise, he strive to make a positive impact by leveraging technology for the betterment of society.
Jaylen Peng

Jaylen Peng


Director of Finance
Jaylen is a senior at Princeton Day School, and has been interested in computer science and taken several courses since 7th grade. He also enjoys playing tennis and drums, drawing, and spending time with his dog. His favorite subjects in school are English and Government.
Ankith Namireddy

Ankith Namireddy


Director of Outreach
Ankith is a Junior at PDS. Some of his hobbies include baking, coding and reading books.
Andrew Dai

Andrew Dai


Outreach
Hi, I'm Andrew and I hope you enjoy this year's PantherHack.
Ark Rana

Ark Rana


Outreach
I'm a sophomore at Princeton Day School interested in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. I am passionate about building the future of technology and exploring the its impact on different fields.
Avi Saran

Avi Saran


Finance
Avi Saran is an organizer for PantherHack.
Dhruv Panchal

Dhruv Panchal


Tech and Design
Dhruv Panchal is an organizer for PantherHack.
Justin Philip

Justin Philip


Finance
Justin Philip is an organizer for PantherHack.
Leo Chang

Leo Chang


Finance
Leo Chang is an organizer for PantherHack.
Vivann Khanna

Vivann Khanna


Tech and Design
An aspiring computer scientist who participated in the tech and design team for the creation of PantherHack 2026. I am interested in machine learning and all of computer science in general.

Get In Touch

  • Email address

    pdspantherhack@gmail.com

  • Location

    650 Great Road, Princeton, NJ, 08540