UMSL students worked together to plan the 10th annual Women’s Hackathon in 2012. Organizers in the Department of Information Systems in the Ed G. Smith College of Business are getting set to host the 12th edition of the event on Saturday in the UMSL Innovation Center. For the third consecutive year, IST alum Edmond Deuser and RGA have generously provided sponsorship for the event. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
By Kala Dunn, UMSL Advancement
Ed Deuser holds the impressive job title of vice president of corporate technology solutions architecture with Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated. But to the students at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Deuser, BS MIS 2002, may best be known as a bridge builder.
While serving as a member of the Department of Information and Systems and Technology’s advisory board, Deuser learned that the Women’s Hackathon, an IST initiative, needed funding. He knew that his company was deeply invested in giving back to the community, and he saw the overlap between the missions of RGA and UMSL. Always looking for ways to serve, Deuser began building a bridge.
“I saw a need, and I saw an opportunity,” Deuser said. “RGA and UMSL are closely aligned in how they think about community impact and long-term growth. We both believe in investing in people and creating opportunities. UMSL does that through education, and RGA does that through financial protection, and both believe strongly in career enablement. It was a slam dunk for me to advocate for supporting the hackathon.”
Deuser’s advocacy was successful, and the Women’s Hackathon has benefited from having RGA as its presenting sponsor for the past three years. Deuser’s motivation for encouraging his company to support this event is deeply personal, and it began during his time at UMSL.
“I was a nontraditional student from a blue-collar family,” Deuser said. “My mom was my biggest advocate. At the same time, not everyone around understood why I was so determined. I worked with my uncle as a roofer at one point, and he said, ‘Why would you give up this money to go get a degree?’ But I felt like I was meant for something different, and I was going to do something different. That’s ultimately why I went to college.”
When he entered the workforce as an IT professional, Deuser found that his background differed from that of many colleagues, and he recalls experiencing imposter syndrome. But rather than viewing his difference as a drawback, Deuser learned to see it as a benefit.
“You have to have people with different opinions, voices, perspectives and experiences to have a good team,” he said.
While centered on women in technology, the hackathon is open to students and nonstudents regardless of gender, major or experience level.
“I hope that in the last three years, someone who participated in the hackathon has experienced something that will help them not feel like an imposter in a corporate environment, to feel like their difference is celebrated, and to feel like they have the skills they need to succeed,” Deuser said. “And an impact on one person pays forward to two, to five, to 10. It grows.”
That hope is already a reality for many UMSL students participating in the hackathon, including Cassandra Ebikibina-Oti, who was a member of the 2025 second-place team.
“As someone who participated in the UMSL Women’s Hackathon before becoming part of the planning team, I have seen firsthand how impactful this event can be,” she said. “When I first attended, it pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone, collaborate with students from different majors, and start seeing how technology can be applied to real-world problems. It was not just about coding but about problem solving, communication and teamwork.”
“The Hackathon creates a space that encourages students to explore technology while still being open and welcoming to everyone,” Ebikibina-Oti said. “With support from partners like RGA, we have been able to expand the experience through increased resources, stronger mentorship opportunities, and more meaningful project outcomes.”
In addition to building the bridge between RGA and UMSL, which has grown to include a scholarship assisting students in actuarial science and cybersecurity, Deuser serves as a valuable resource for students working toward careers in IT. He is quick to advise students to foster curiosity, embrace failure and, most importantly, build community.
“You need to find somebody on a similar path, share the mindset and unite,” Deuser said. “I did that with two classmates at UMSL. We were nothing alike in many ways. I was a full-time working student, and they weren’t. We were all of different nationalities. But those differences didn’t matter. Community matters. When you learn together, challenge each other and support one another, the journey becomes more successful.”
The Women’s Hackathon is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, at the UMSL Innovation Center on the UMSL campus.
