Norwich hosts AWS Generative AI Challenge for senior military colleges

Norwich University hosted the 2026 Amazon Web Services (AWS) Generative AI Challenge Sept. 26–27 at its Cyber Fusion Center, bringing together eight student teams from Norwich, The Citadel, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Tech, and the University of North Georgia.

The competition, held as part of a four-day visit to campus, put students in the role of consultants to Northstar Mobility Group, a fictional automaker facing growing cybersecurity threats to connected and software-defined vehicles. As cars increasingly rely on mobile apps, cloud services, remote diagnostics and over-the-air updates, a cyberattack can mean more than stolen data. It can lead to financial losses, fleet disruptions and risks to public safety.

Teams were asked to answer a board-level question: How can an automaker reduce cybersecurity risks to connected vehicles at scale while funding the necessary protections without sacrificing competitiveness, innovation or customer trust?

Working with AWS and industry mentors, the students developed strategic recommendations on cybersecurity, business risk and investment priorities. On Sunday, each team presented and defended its solution before a panel that included AWS professionals, industry leaders and a University alumnus. Judges evaluated the teams on five areas, including problem understanding, innovation, technical merit, feasibility, and presentation.

The event opened Saturday evening with a welcome dinner at the Cyber Fusion Center, giving participants, AWS mentors, University leadership and guests a chance to connect before the competition. Keith Gelinas ’84, a Norwich alumnus and senior practice manager of automotive professional services with AWS, who has played a central role in the partnership between the University and the company, delivered the keynote address. Seth Soman, director of the William M. Lasky School of Business, and Travis Morris, director of the Senator Patrick Leahy School of Cybersecurity and Advanced Computing, offered remarks on behalf of the University.

Norwich fielded three teams, made up of the following students:

• Skin in the Game: Wyatt Dunn, Davis Grant, Sophia Taylor, and Makeda Watson
• Tech Turtles: Lucas Alber, Penn Bresee, Gian Criollo-Rivera, and Devan Patel
• The Hockey Boys: Colin Elliott, Ocean Fancy, Cory Kashul, and Zachary Ophoven

Norwich began its partnership with AWS in 2022, launching a case study competition that challenged students to apply business strategy, cybersecurity, technology, and emerging innovations to complex problems. The event has since become an annual Norwich tradition and has inspired AWS to bring similar challenges to universities across the country. This year's competition celebrated the collaborative spirit of the senior military colleges, giving students the chance to compete, learn from industry experts and build connections across institutions.

The challenge brought together the Leahy School and the Lasky School and connected them with industry expertise. For participants, it offered practical experience in interdisciplinary problem-solving, teamwork and persuasive communication. It also demonstrated how alumni engagement and industry collaboration create opportunities for students to apply classroom knowledge to complex challenges with consequences for businesses and communities.