Valentin Mendez | Banner Dr. Mikyung Han, (left) assistant professor of computer software data science; Matthew Gozal freshman, computer science major, Amanda Luna, freshman mechanical engineering major, and Isaiah Price, freshman electrical and computer engineering major, meet for their weekly Kingdom Connect club officer meeting, where they discuss the possible theme for the upcoming Hackathon event.
The Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University will host its first ever 24-hour hackathon March 5, thanks in part to the continual efforts of one professor and the club she founded to improve the innovation of technology through mission work and outreach at the university.
Dr. Mikyung Han, assistant professor of computer software data sciences, founded Kingdom Connect while working at Microsoft and said she wanted to bring the same environment to campus to start a movement among the students.
She created the club with the ideas of a similar program known as “Code for the Kingdom,” which is a weekend hackathon and ongoing ecosystem where global issues are tackled from a Christian perspective.
“The vision of the club is to develop an application that will bring innovation, transformation and even miracles to our campus, communities and to all nations,” Han said.
Within her first year at CBU, Han has already established a solid foundation connecting her classroom and the church.
“I wanted to be a part of something that combined my love of God and desire to share his word with my fascination for technology,” said Isaiah Price, freshman electrical and computer engineering major. “That’s exactly what Kingdom Connect aspires to be.”
Kingdom Connect members are taught how to code and enhance their capabilities. Through this experience, the members of the club have the opportunity to learn how to create technology by writing much-needed code that will support the church.
“(Dr. Han) has left an imprint on the students that she has had,” said Matthew Gozal, freshman computer science major. “She continues to bring in her helpfulness and motivation to her new students.”
The mission of Kingdom Connect is to bring innovation of technology through mission work and outreach while providing students with marketable career skills.
Han accomplished this through club growth and reached new heights by raising enough money to be able to host the first CBU hackathon in the first week of March.
