School of Public Health

Frontiers Publication: PH Hackathon: empowering high school students

Public Health Hackathon: empowering high school students as tomorrow’s leaders and innovators in public health publication

Tuesday, 10 February 2026

Led by Dr. Ashish Joshi, Dean and Distinguished Professor of the University of Memphis School of Public Health, the study explores the design, implementation and impact of global, hybrid public health hackathons—intensive, short-term challenges that provide students with structured opportunities to collaborate and develop innovative solutions to pressing public health challenges.

The research underscores the value of the Hackathon as an experiential, hands-on educational approach that engages youth in tackling real-world public health issues. The public health hackathons can serve as an early introduction to public health careers while fostering creativity, problem-solving and community-focused innovation among youth.

The study details the public health hackathon’s structure, evaluation methods and outcomes, highlighting its potential as a model for exposing students to public health practice and encouraging youth-led initiatives to improve community health. By combining design-driven learning with applied problem-solving, the hackathon demonstrates how experiential education can build capacity, inspire innovation and raise awareness of public health careers.

The University of Memphis School of Public Health hosted its 3rd annual hackathon in 2024–2025, bringing together 87 participants from 9 institutions across 4 countries: the United States, India, Malta, and Uganda.

For any questions related to this publication, feel free to reach out to Dean Ashish Joshi at ashish.joshi@memphis.edu

Collaborators

1. Ashish Joshi, PhD, MBBS, MPH, Dean and Distinguished University Professor School of Public Health, University of Memphis
2. Niharika Jha, Graduate Research Assistant, PhD student in Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Memphis
3. Michelle Jeu, MPH, Health Informatics Analyst, PH IDEAS MPH, School of Public Health, University of Memphis
4. Kami Geron, MA, Instructional Designer and Coordinator School of Public Health, University of Memphis
5. Lori Ward, PhD, MS, Undergraduate Program Coordinator and Associate Professor of Teaching School of Public Health, University of Memphis

Link: Frontiers | Public Health Hackathon: empowering high school students as tomorrow’s leaders and innovators in public health