A U.S. hacking group with a track record of developing talent for some of the world’s biggest technology companies has named a Duke Kunshan student among the 50 most inspiring members of its 150,000-strong active community.
Major League Hacking (MLH) recognized Aziz Abdullaev in its 2022 shortlist for inspiring other self-taught coders and developing award-winning apps that support educators and health workers.
The environmental science student (public policy track) impressed judges by winning competitions despite not majoring in computer science, the traditional educational route of top hackathon performers.
“I’m honored to have been selected as ‘one of the most inspirational hackers of the year’ and I hope that my story will inspire many other community members in the future,” said the Class of 2023 student, who is from Tashkent in Uzbekistan.
After falling into the hacking scene while studying away at Duke as part of the DKU experience, Abdullaev became a key member of hackathon teams at contests such as MakeUC, MetroHacks and Faber Web3.
The apps he worked on helped people to navigate food allergies and dietary restrictions, enabled health care workers to store patient data under a decentralized system and supported educators in monitoring student engagement during online lectures.
Abdullaev’s MLH recognition comes hot on the heels of two DKU students — Rebecca Combs and Helene Gu — starring at ASA Duke DataFest 2022, in an indication of the depth of coding talent at the university.
He now wants to tap into that pool by staging a hackathon at DKU, unleashing the problem-solving potential of its students.
“Hackathons are about many things but most importantly they are about solving problems with the creative use of technology,” said Abdullaev, who is set on a career in tech.
“I believe hackathons will nurture ‘doers’ who can go on to found start-ups, non-profits or businesses to change the world for the better. DKU students have more than what it takes to do so.”
Charles Chang, assistant professor of environmental and urban studies at DKU, said he was not surprised to see Abdullaev earn such recognition.
“Aziz is not only an excellent programmer, but also a thinker and a creator,” Chang said.
“What makes him exceptional is that he seems to have a talent to connect technology to the people who are most in need and the perseverance to tackle challenges.
“It has always been a pleasure to work with such a student who is inquisitive, delicate and imaginative.”
MLH describes itself as the world’s largest community of early-career developers and a “mission-driven organization focused on empowering the next generation of technologists”.
It has worked with employers such as Amazon Web Services, Facebook and Capital One to develop and train talent.
Recipients of the top 50 award are selected based on their “exceptional contributions” to the tech ecosystem and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.
Nick Quinlan, MLH’s chief operating officer, said inclusion in the top 50 list from a pool of 150,000 active community members was a “high honor”.
“To be selected is to have your achievements recognized as the top percent of the top percent of new technologists today,” he said.