Henderson, Tennessee — (April 25, 2024) — For the third consecutive year, Freed-Hardeman’s analytics teams brought home honors, this time at the Bluegrass DataFest held in late April at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. In this competition, students had 48 hours to evaluate a complex, real-world dataset and present their findings.
This year, Freed-Hardeman fielded two teams of five students each, doubling in size from the team’s inaugural appearance in 2022. Team members Lou Joseph, Eli Combs, Justin Steward, Kate Fitzgerald and Taylor Guess secured the Best in Show and Best Visualization honors. Meanwhile, John Robinson, J.T. Moore, Justin Ellis, Carson Kizer and Aidan Harrison won the Best Use of External Data award.
“These results continue to demonstrate our students’ academic competitiveness nationwide,” said Charlie Smith, one of the DataFest faculty advisors. “Their insights into the data and recommendations for action were on par with professional data analysts. I’m proud of their dedication and abilities.”
While specifics about the real-world dataset challenge are embargoed until all competitions conclude, FHU students shared how they navigated the contest.
“At the beginning, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the extensive dataset, but as we crunched the numbers and identified patterns, everything came together,” said Eli Combs, a senior business analytics major from Bowling Green, Kentucky. “I learned the value of diversity in skill sets on a team. Our success stemmed from leveraging each member’s strengths.”
Aidan Harrison attributed his team’s win to their approach of framing findings in the context of relevant research conducted by experts in the field of the company analyzed. “We went beyond drawing conclusions about the data,” said Harrison, a junior business analytics major from Signal Mountain, Tennessee.
Harrison and Joseph were part of FHU’s winning team last year.
“It felt great to win again,” said Joseph, a senior computer science major from Orlando, Florida. “It was a testament to the skills we acquired at Freed-Hardeman, not only a Christian education but a quality one.”
FHU teams previously won for Best Insight in 2022 and Best Data Visualization in 2023.
The team doubled its size this year largely due to past success.
“We increased from one team last year to two teams this year due to growing student interest,” Smith said. “We’d love to add more teams because it’s a high-impact educational experience that prepares students for data-focused tasks in the business world.”
Analytics team members come from diverse majors including business analytics, mathematics, computer science, marketing and accounting. Smith and Dr. Jared Collins, associate professor of mathematics, are faculty advisors.
The American Statistical Association holds DataFests at universities nationwide during the spring. Typically, only three awards are given, but the Bluegrass DataFest added the Best in Show category.
DataFests are held regionally, and none are currently held in Tennessee. Smith and Collins hope to eventually host a competition at Freed-Hardeman.
For more information about the FHU business analytics program, visit https://fhu.edu/academics/majors-minors/business-analytics/ or email csmith@fhu.edu.
DataFest, sponsored by the American Statistical Association, involves undergraduates analyzing a private, complex real-world dataset over a weekend. The first was held at UCLA in 2011, and regional competitions have since spread across the country. Sponsors include Google and R Studio, a popular statistical software package.
The mission of Freed-Hardeman University is to help students develop their God-given talents for His glory by empowering them with an education that integrates Christian faith, scholarship, and service. With locations in Henderson and Memphis, FHU offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees.