Students Analyze AI Tool at 4th Annual Hackathon
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Students put their data analysis skills to the test last weekend for the fourth annual Analytics for Good Hackathon, a competition that challenges students to examine a real-world business problem and deliver insights in just 24 hours.
This year, teams examined data to determine how an artificial intelligence tool aimed at helping students affected their academic success. More than 100 competitors crunched numbers and worked with mentors to refine their analyses—all while racing against the clock. Finalist teams presented their findings to a panel of judges consisting of Carlson School faculty, alumni, and data analyst professionals.
The winning team for the undergraduate division came from the University of Minnesota Duluth and consisted of Jordan Carlson, Megan Gehling, Ella Green, Reilly Sullivan, Laura Tsai, and Natalya Wilkes. At the graduate level, the winning team consisted of Carlson School Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) students: Aurosikha Mohanty, Aakash Patil, Aditya Ravikrishnan, Harshal Sable, Mayank Singh, and Archita Vaj. The students said they enjoyed working with and learning from other students at the Hackathon.
“My experience has been unreal,” said Ravikrishnan. “I got to work with folks I don’t work with often. It’s been a great learning experience.”
“The fact that we got to sit in and observe some of the other presentations, too, I’m going to go back to class and be asking questions and implementing things we saw,” said Green.
The students on both winning teams took home new iPads, and a total of $10,000 worth of prizes was awarded throughout the competition. Additionally, the Hackathon featured an interview workshop, a trivia competition, and other prize giveaways.
The event, hosted by the Analytics for Good Institute, was open to students from the Carlson School, the College of Science & Engineering, and UMD. Avnee Satija and Aashi Patni were among the MSBA students who organized the event from start to finish.
“Being a part of the organizing team for this Hackathon was a chance to create an innovative space where students could collaborate and experiment,” said Satija.
“It is important for students to get hands-on learning opportunities as it gives them a platform to apply all the skills and techniques they have learned to real-world problems,” said Patni.
The Analytics for Good Institute sponsored the event alongside corporate partner 3M. For more information, visit the Hackathon website.
