Each year, the American Statistical Association (ASA) sponsors a two-day data science competition and "celebration of data" known as ASA DataFest. 

Founded in 2011 at UCLA, this event has grown dramatically, expanding to many host institutions across the country each spring. While the UGA Department of Statistics has participated in ASA DataFest in the past, 2026 was the first time the department has hosted the event. And we went all in! 

Over the weekend of April 10-12, 2026, ninety-four students from six universities and at least 20 different disciplines participated. These students were organized in 24 teams, with thirteen undergraduate teams, and eleven teams at the graduate level. Over two days of intense and spirited collaboration, each team developed an analysis of a complex data set pertaining to medical services from a regional healthcare network. The data came with a set of research questions that were broad and challenging enough to allow teams to focus their work in several different directions. The event culminated on Sunday afternoon with brief presentations by each team, followed by the presentation of awards in several categories. 

This year's DataFest took place in the UGA Innovation District facility, a fantastic venue for collaboration that was perfect for this event. To learn more, including a list of all winners, please read the Franklin College feature on UGA's inaugural ASA DataFest posted here.  Huge thanks to the National Institute of Statistical Sciences and several UGA entities for sponsoring the event. We also greatly appreciate the hard work of event organizers Drs. Prince Allotey, TN Sriram, and Abhyuday Mandal as well as the many faculty and students who helped by serving as mentors, judges, and extra hands. 

For more event details, please check the event page here. The 2026 ASA DataFest at UGA was a roaring success and so much fun that we plan to make it an annual event. Plans have already begun for 2027!