PR - CIED & CRUZHACKS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 12, 2026

CruzHacks Leadership Transitions to UC Santa Cruz CIED as Doug Erickson Steps Down; Nada Miljković Named Board Chair

Santa Cruz, CA — After years of dedicated leadership and service to the student innovation community, Doug Erickson is officially stepping down from his role overseeing CruzHacks.

Under Doug’s guidance, CruzHacks grew into one of UC Santa Cruz’s flagship student-led hackathons, bringing together hundreds of students annually to build, prototype, and collaborate in an environment that celebrates creativity, technical exploration, and interdisciplinary problem-solving. His leadership helped establish CruzHacks as a cornerstone event within the campus and community innovation ecosystem.

“Over the past year, Doug's leadership became a blueprint for how we could take ownership of CruzHacks and elevate it year after year, while his community connections accelerated our growth and helped us build momentum we couldn't have achieved on our own.” said Rohit Mamidipaka, CruzHacks’ outgoing and newly voted Interim Executive Director. “We’re excited to see this next phase unfold under CIED’s stewardship, which will help ensure long-term continuity while strengthening mentorship, industry engagement, and institutional support for future student organizers.”

Now entering its 12th year, CruzHacks is one of the longest-running collegiate hackathons on California’s Central Coast. The transition comes on the heels of a highly successful January 16 event that drew approximately 300 participants and resulted in more than 90 student-built projects spanning software, hardware, AI, sustainability, fintech, and social impact solutions.

The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED) at UC Santa Cruz will now assume responsibility for overseeing and supporting CruzHacks programming moving forward.

Programming will be organized through CIED under the direction of Nada Miljković, Project Manager of the Center, who has assumed the role of CruzHacks Board Chair as part of this leadership transition.

CIED, which operates as the university’s hub for experiential entrepreneurship education, will work closely with student organizers to ensure the event continues to grow while maintaining its student-led energy and culture. The transition reflects a broader effort to integrate hackathon programming more deeply into UCSC’s innovation pipeline — connecting ideation, prototyping, mentorship, venture development, and applied entrepreneurship education.

“Doug’s commitment to student innovation has had a lasting impact,” said Miljković. “We are grateful for the foundation he built. Our goal is to honor that legacy while strengthening institutional support and long-term sustainability for CruzHacks.”

CruzHacks will continue to be student-led, preserving its grassroots spirit while benefiting from strengthened institutional backing.

Additional details regarding the upcoming CruzHacks cycle will be announced in the coming months.

About CIED

The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED) at UC Santa Cruz prepares students to apply entrepreneurial thinking through experiential, interdisciplinary, and community-engaged learning that advances innovation, economic development, and meaningful social impact locally and globally.

For media inquiries or additional information, please contact:

Marina Glagolev, 

Operations Manager, CIED

mglagole@ucsc.edu                                                                                                                                       ###