Two teams of New Mexico State University Computer Science students took 1st and 2nd place at the 2026 Desert Dev Lab Hackathon, a statewide competition held in Albuquerque on April 18 and 19, 2026, that challenged participants to build artificial intelligence solutions for the food and agriculture sector. 

Hosted by NM Tech Talks, the hackathon brought together 27 teams from across New Mexico. Participants were given datasets and tasked with using machine learning and artificial intelligence models to develop a working minimum viable product addressing a real problem in food and agriculture. The Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship, housed within NMSU's Arrowhead Center, served as a sponsor of the event. 

The full article can be seen at https://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu/news/2026/nmsu-students-take-first-and-second-place-at-statewide-desert-dev-lab-hackathon.html