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2026 Nittany AI Challenge Results

MVP Phase Winners

Congratulations to the following teams, which have been awarded funding in the final phase of the 2026 Nittany AI Challenge.

Read about the winners

CrashAI image winner

$5,500 Winner: CrashAI

CrashAI is a roadway safety platform that predicts crash risk and recommends evidence-based interventions.

Team Members:

  • Rohiin Havre, College of Information Sciences & Technology and Smeal College of Business
  • Andy Tang, College of Engineering and College of the Liberal Arts
  • Ameya Panchal, College of Engineering
SignLink with check second place winner

$3,500 Winner: SignLink

SignLink is a real-time ASL-to-Text translator enabling accessible communication without interpreters.

Team Members:

  • Katerina Dimitrova, College of Engineering
MatchMyLab with check third place winners

$2,500 Winner: MatchMyLab

MatchMyLaab is an AI system that automates fair, conflict-free teaching assistant scheduling at scale.

Team Members:

  • Gustavo Rodrigues Foz, College of Engineering
  • Julien Victor Mutton, College of Engineering
  • Troy LaPolice, Eberly College of Science
Surge with 4th place check

$2,000 Winner: Surge

Surge is an automated service that makes small businesses discoverable in AI-driven search results.

  • Lance Streuber, College of Engineering
  • Ishaan Narang, College of Engineering
ClaimShield 5th place winners with check

$2,000 Winner: ClaimShield

ClaimShield is an AI billing auditor that flags potential medical billing errors and supports patient appeals.

Team Members:

  • Kapil Ravi Rathod, College of the Engineering
  • Kushal Joseph Vallamkatt, College of Engineering
  • Aneesh Shamraj, College of Engineering