Prize RibbonOne Prompt. Endless Possibilities.

Make your creativity count at the inaugural Make Your Mark: AI Poster Competition — a high-energy design challenge exploring how AI can be used thoughtfully, responsibly and strategically in creative practice.

Open to Elon students, the competition begins with a preparatory workshop on Tuesday, March 31, from 5 to 6 p.m. in Steers Pavilion. The session is designed to help participants refine their approach and generate ideas.

The challenge officially kicks off on Thursday, April 2, in Schar Hall. Students will receive a live prompt and have 2.5 hours to concept and produce an original 11″ × 17″ poster while working individually. Each poster must combine an AI-element or concept with a non-AI, or hand-crafted element, and participants will document how AI supported their solution.

Once submitted, the posters will be printed and displayed for public voting during the awards ceremony on Friday, April 3, in LaRose Digital Theater.

Students will compete for $650 in prizes, including:

$200 – First Place
$150 – Second Place
$100 – Third Place
$100 – Fan Favorite
$100 – Judge’s Favorite

The Fan Favorite award goes to the poster that receives the most public votes – so rally your friends and encourage them to vote for your work. In addition, a panel of judges will evaluate all submissions and award first, second and third place, along with a Judge’s Favorite.

Ready to make your mark? Complete the registration form below. Questions? Contact Sagun Giri, AI Sandbox coordinator, at sgiri@elon.edu.

 

Elon AI

Event recap

Tuesday, March 31, 5–6 p.m.
Pre-event workshop — Steers Pavilion

Thursday, April 2, 5–7:30 p.m.
Live competition — Schar Hall labs and Snow Family Grand Atrium

Friday, April 3, 5–6 p.m.
Awards ceremony — LaRose Digital Theater

Register now!

Once you complete the registration form, hit the “Submit” button. The page will refresh, and a confirmation alert will appear. Registrants will NOT receive a confirmation email.

Participant's name(Required)
Class year(Required)

AI Experience: How would you describe your experience with AI tools?(Required)
Which AI tools have you used before? (Select all that apply.)(Required)
Do you plan to attend the optional pre-event workshop on March 31?(Required)
Agreement to rules(Required)
Where did you hear about this competition?(Required)

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Judges

Elon professor Michele Lashley

Michele Lashley

The assistant professor of strategic communications is a member of the inaugural cohort of the Coastal Athletic Conference Academic Alliance AI Technologies Champion Network. Recognized as a leader in the integration of emerging technologies, she is part of a cross-institutional community working to advance cohesive, consistent and ethical approaches to artificial intelligence in higher education. Lashley holds a J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law and brings a strong foundation in legal and ethical frameworks to her work at the intersection of AI, communications and education.

Smaraki Mohanty

Smaraki Mohanty

The Doherty Emerging Professor of Entrepreneurship and assistant professor of marketing joined Elon’s faculty in fall 2021 after completing her Ph.D. in management with a concentration in marketing from the State University of New York at Binghamton. At Elon, Mohanty teaches Digital Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Consumer Behavior and Principles of Marketing. Her research focuses on how technology and marketing shape consumer decision-making. She studies human-computer interaction, particularly how smart devices influence consumer behavior, as well as consumer responses to sustainability initiatives. Mohanty also explores symbolic brand meaning and the role of social media and mobile marketing in shaping consumer choices.