Published December 12, 2025

CAPTION:Champions of theDevDaysHealthTech Challenge, Yukta Karki,SianRoseVincent, and Nirjara KC, pictured with their faculty advisor, PrasanthiSreekumari,awarded $5,000 prize.
MONROE, La. –The ULM Department of Computer Science is proud to announce that a student team has won theDevDaysHealthTech Challenge, hosted by Nexus Louisiana inpartnership with Ochsner Health.Kneva,the winning teamcomposed of computer science studentsYukta Karki,SianRoseVincent, and Nirjara KC,was awarded a $5,000 prizeat the competition in Baton Rouge onNovember 14.
TheDevDaysChallengeattracted160studentsfrom 11 Louisiana universities whosubmitted45 innovative solutions, addressing issues ranging from athlete safety to carbon management.
Kneva is an innovative health technology platform focused on addressing a long-overlooked crisis in sports medicine: female athletes face up to eight times greater risk of experiencing a catastrophic ACL injury. This groundbreaking project aims to end the era of compromise in women’s sports by delivering technology and insights that support safer performance and long-term athletic health.
The system unifies two critical data points, hormonalfluctuationsand biomechanical movement, to predict elevated injury risk and deliver real-time, micro-adjusted training feedback. A wearable knee sensormonitorsmovement patterns, while the platform maps an athlete’s menstrual cycle toidentifywhen they are more susceptible to injury, creating a personalized, adaptive approach to performance and injury prevention.
TeamKnevashared that the competition affirmed their mission to build injury-prevention tools that truly reflect the physiology and experiences of female athletes—not systems retrofitted from male data.
“I was raised in a world shaped by strong women, andKnevalets me pour that energy into a platform that finally acknowledges and supports female athletes,” said KC. “Leading the research and development for our ACL prevention prototype proved that innovation is iterative, and this win fuels our next chapter.We’reexcited to take on the engineering challenges needed to move from concept to a production-ready solution.”
The six-week competition brought together student teams from across the state to confront a real and pressing sports medicine issue. “DevDaysis about putting our state’s brightest minds on our state's hardest problems,” said Tony Zanders, President and CEO of Nexus Louisiana. “The quality of ideas we saw reflects the strength of the talent emerging from Louisiana’s universities and the value of connecting that talent to real industry needs.”
As the presenting partner, Ochsner Health emphasized the importance of strengthening pathways between students and industry. “DevDaysshows what happens when we give young people real problems to solve and the room to innovate boldly. These studentsaren’tjust imagining the future of sports medicine —they’rebuilding it.I’mproud that Ochsner is helping open doors, strengthen pathways, and champion the next generation of Louisiana talent,” said Christy Reeves, Vice President, Network Development and Government Relations at Ochsner Health.
“We are extremely proud of all the students whoparticipatedin the competition. Their dedication, passion, and perseveranceshowcasethe strength and spirit of our department,” said Dr. PrasanthiSreekumari, Program Chair of the ULM Computer Science Department and Associate Professor of Computer Science.
“Kneva’svictory is a powerful validation of their mission and the impact their work can have on the future of sports medicine,” addedSreekumari.
“The team would like to thank Dr.Sreekumarifor her guidancethroughoutthe development ofKneva. We also extend our thanks to Dr. Paul Wiedemeier and Dr. Paul Rojas for providing the resources and support we needed to bring this project to life,” said KC.
Team Kneva’swinmarks the second victory for a ULM Computer Science team atDevDaysthis year. Carbon Horizonwon the NexusDevDaysClimateTechChallenge in October2025. Read more about their win at/news/2025/comp_science_devdays_111125.html
About Nexus LouisianaDevDays
Nexus Louisiana’s mission is to accelerate the growth of high-potential technology-enabled companies by providing them with coaching, capital, and connections. Their programsleverageregional collaboration to foster mentorship, investment, and opportunity for local entrepreneurs to grow their ideas and transform the technology industry in Louisiana.
DevDaysare one-of-a-kind events that fuse technology, competition, and Louisiana’s legendary football pride.Over six weeks, participants tackle real-world challenges from leading industries and bringtheirsolutionsto life in an impactful, one-day demo event in Baton Rouge.
Nexus Louisiana has confirmed thatDevDayswill return next year with new challenges and expanded collaboration opportunities.
For more information, please visit.
