Seventeen full-time Indiana University Bloomington students on eight teams will pitch their technological innovations to a panel of judges Wednesday, April 11, during the third annual Cheng Wu Innovation Challenge.

A total of $15,000 in scholarships will be awarded to the top teams. Typically $10,000 is given for first place and $5,000 for second place, but judges have the discretion to award the funds in other ratios.

The Cheng Wu Innovation Challenge is open to students from any academic discipline as long as each team has at least one major from the School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering. IU technology experts vetted the 2018 applications, and the top-scoring eight teams were named finalists.

“The Cheng Wu Innovation Challenge provides an avenue for students to explore their ideas knowing they have the full support of the IU community,” said Raj Acharya, dean of the School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering and the Rudy Professor of Engineering, Computer Science and Informatics. “Competition brings out the best in most people, and the notion of rewarding novel designs and ideas without worrying about a commercial impact inspires our students and cultivates our innovative spirit.”

WHAT: Third annual Cheng Wu Innovation Challenge

WHEN: 3-6 p.m. Wednesday, April 11

WHERE: Dorsey Learning Hall at Luddy Hall, 700 N. Woodlawn Ave., Bloomington

WHO: Seventeen full-time Indiana University Bloomington students and judges Dustin DuBois, Ice Miller; Don Kuratko, Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Kelley School of Business; Fred Luddy, ServiceNow; Jane Martin, IU Foundation board and Spring Mill Venture Partners; John Shoemaker, Extreme Networks; and Brad Wisler, Periodic and SproutBox.