Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) announced Team Infect-ID, comprised of Jason Xie, David Wan, Vaibhav Sridhar, and George Wang of Oak Park High School, as the winner of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge for California’s 26th Congressional District. The student group created Infect-ID, an interactive app that helps visualize the spread of diseases to keep communities informed and safe.
“Every year, the Congressional App Challenge underscores the creativity of our district’s young innovators. I want to congratulate Jason Xie, David Wan, Vaibhav Sridhar, and George Wang on the development of their app, Infect-ID, which is a forward-thinking program designed to track disease networks. It features a prototype algorithm to identify “patient zero” in a patient network. Apps like these can help communities prevent the spread of diseases and significantly improve the health and safety of the American public.
“I also want to congratulate all the students who took part in the Congressional App Challenge. This year, students submitted apps that address an array of issues including mental health support for teens, a cognitive program to help individuals with dementia, and a fun and interactive activity to motivate students to complete assignments,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “Every year, I am impressed by the collection of applications we receive. This year was no exception. We are so fortunate to have such promising innovators in our district.”
“Our hope is that with the ability to visualize and track disease networks, the general public – be it teachers, employers, or hospitals – can be more informed and safe. An uncontrolled outburst of disease is detrimental because we often do not have adequate information to implement protocols to limit the spread. Because of this, society is sent into a panic as the outbreak runs rampant. Millions of people lose their lives due to the lack of information. This is where Infect-ID comes in. Infect-ID enables individuals to upload their own patient networks, allowing people to visualize and track the disease networks surrounding their own lives,” said the designers of the first-place winning app, Infect-ID. “With this information, individuals can rely on themselves to identify patient zero as well as predict where the disease will go next. By keeping people calm, informed, and safe, Infect-ID aims to aid the community by preventing the spread of deadly diseases, keeping people healthy, and saving lives.”
“We are extremely proud of our students’ triumph in the Congressional App Challenge. Their keen awareness and response to the community’s need for accessible COVID-19 information is truly commendable. Their exceptional technical expertise, showcased in the successful completion of the app, reflects not just their skills but their deep dedication to personal and academic growth. We celebrate their remarkable efforts and are thrilled to have such talented and committed Eagles at Oak Park High School,” said Mathew McClenahan, Oak Park High School’s Principal.
“The submittals for the challenge were all excellent examples of this up-and-coming generation’s focus on innovations to improve life in our society. Infect-ID won because they were not only able to clearly articulate the issue, but it was also impressive to see the in-depth detail on how their algorithm operated to improve outcomes,” said Terry Theobald, Chief Information Officer for the County of Ventura and judge of the Congressional App Challenge for California’s 26th Congressional District.
“In a world driven by technology, these students represent the next generation of visionaries who will play a pivotal role in shaping the future landscape. Their innovative solutions, as showcased, demonstrate a keen understanding of the challenges we face and a determination to contribute meaningfully to a better tomorrow.” said Joaquin Licea, Director of Technology for the Santa Paula Unified School District and judge of the Congressional App Challenge.
Below are the video submissions for the first, second, and third place winners of the 2022 Congressional App Challenge:
- 1st Place: Infect-ID created by Jason Xie, David Wan, Vaibhav Sridhar, and George Wang
- 2nd Place: Beacon – Teen Mental Health created by Rohan Philip
- 3rd Place: Cognitive Stimulation created by Lance Jin-Ngo
The Congressional App Challenge is a competition organized by Members of Congress across the country for middle school and high school students to create their own software applications and gain experience with computer coding.
Submissions from students across the 26th Congressional District were judged by a panel of local judges who work within the academic, software, and entrepreneurial fields. This year’s submissions were judged by Terry Theobald, Chief Information Officer for the County of Ventura; Joaquin Licea, Director of Technology for the Santa Paula Unified School District; and Dana Thompson, Director of Education Technology for the Ventura County Office of Education.
To learn more about the Congressional App Challenge, visit
https://juliabrownley.house.gov/services/the-house-student-app-challenge/.
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Issues: 118th Congress, Education, Local Issues