Winona State University will host the fourth annual Midwest Undergraduate Data Analytics Competition (MUDAC) April 11-12.
The competition was created by the WSU Department of Mathematics and Statistics to bring together students from around the Midwest to solve a data analytics problem for an industry partner. MUDAC 2015 will include 25 teams of undergraduates from colleges and universities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois, and $1,000 in prizes will be awarded.
“The competition continues to grow every year, “ said MUDAC director Chris Malone. “Students understand they are not working toward a grade, but instead toward a solution. They’re extremely excited to solve an analytics problem that has meaning and may directly impact a business.”
Fastenal is the primary corporate sponsor of the competition and will provide this year’s analytics problem. The student teams will complete an analysis, provide a written summary of their finding, and present their recommendations to the judges, all within 24 hours.
“One goal of MUDAC is to showcase the abilities of these students who have substantial quantitative training. The students thrive on turning raw data into knowledge,” said Malone. “This year’s slogan is ‘with much data comes much responsibility,’ and I have confidence these students will fully accept this responsibility.“
Another goal of MUDAC is to offer professional development opportunities for participants. MUDAC 2015 will include a job fair, a meet-and-greet session with WSU alumni and other corporate data science professionals from around the Midwest, and a panel discussion about starting a career in data science.
For more information email Malone at MUDAC@winona.edu or visit www.MUDAC.org.
