The fourth annual Animal Health Hackathon at Cornell will take place Jan. 24-26 at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). Registration is free and open to students across Cornell as well as other universities.

Co-hosted by CVM and Entrepreneurship at Cornell, the event brings together students from diverse degrees, majors and schools to address current needs in veterinary health care. This year’s challenges range from weight assessments and rabies diagnostics to wild animal population estimates and vaccinations. Alumni and industry mentors will provide feedback and guidance to student teams over the course of the weekend, culminating in a project showcase on Sunday. A panel of judges select winners in a variety of categories, including Most Innovative Solution and Best Market-Ready Solution, for $8,000 in prize money divided equally among the categories.

Past hackathons have taken place at eHub in Collegetown; now in its fourth year, the event is being hosted for the first time in CVM’s renovated Shurman Hall facilities. Other new elements include a series of presentations and workshops on innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as an invitation-only veterinary business roundtable. The hackathon is one of several initiatives spearheaded by the new Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship.