M-A’s Audrey Ha Takes Congressional App Competition By Storm

PALO ALTO, CA — Audrey Ha felt compelled to put her computer science knowledge to use amid a record-breaking hurricane season, and the Menlo-Atherton High School junior delivered.

Ha developed an app using AI to assess storm damage using aerial photography of impacted regions in a fraction of the time it would take the naked eye.

She developed SurveyHurricane to help government agencies bring aid to where it’s most needed and minutes count.

Ha created a YouTube video explaining how it works.

Her work has been recognized by U.S. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-Palo Alto), who named Ha the winner of the 2020 Congressional App Challenge for California’s 18th Congressional District.

“Audrey Ha was inspired to assist the efforts of the federal government to help Americans recover from hurricanes and storms which have been increasing year after year due to climate change,” Eshoo said in a statement.

“This tool can assist first responders and government organizations in efficiently assessing hurricane damage and planning critical storm relief efforts.”

Ha’s app is eligible to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building and featured on the House of Representatives’ website.

It also earned her an invitation to the #HouseofCode, an annual event in which developers of winning apps showcase their work to their congressional representatives. The event is typically held at Capitol Hill each spring but may be held remotely this year amid the pandemic.

“This award is an immense honor for me, as I am deeply passionate about applying machine learning to large scale problems in healthcare, the environment, and the community,” Ha told Patch.

“In the future I hope to continue using technology to make a positive impact in society because I believe that the successful convergence of technology with medicine, government, environmental advocacy, and education will create extraordinary shifts in our world within the next decade. I am so grateful to be recognized for a field I believe in and hope to use technology for the good of humanity.”

Eshoo is a founding Co-Chair of the Congressional App Challenge, a competition for high school students established in 2013 with bipartisan support.

The program aims to promote innovation and engagement in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education fields.

Apps were judged based on the following criteria: quality of the idea, including creativity and originality; implementation of the idea, including user experience and design; and demonstrated excellence of coding and programming skills.

Ha brought experience to the competition that included building mobile apps and creating apps for education, music, and journaling.

Ha also volunteers with local career training organizations and city governments to develop digital literacy courses for the community.

“I am dedicated to the ways in which education and technology can dovetail to help diverse populaces,” she said.

Her dedication is paying off.

“I applaud Audrey for using her creative energy and technical expertise to address an immediate problem,” Eshoo said.

“I’m proud of Audrey and all the students who entered their app this year to help others during a difficult year while they, too, have had many new challenges.

“Bravo to Audrey and all the students who entered the App Challenge.”

Ha also acknowledges not all problems can be solved by whipping out code.

She is mindful of maintaining the human touch in a world that’s turning Black Mirror. Ha founded her school’s public speaking club to help foster an environment in which people can still actually talk to each other.

“Human-to-human communication is critical to maintain in an era moving towards the digital,” she said.