Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


RIT to Host National Data Hackathon for Undergrads

The Rochester Institute of Technology will host DataFest, a national undergraduate data hackathon, for the second consecutive year later this week.

Sponsored by the American Statistical Association, the competition asks teams of students from any major and at any point in their data science education "to tackle what's probably the richest, most complex dataset you've seen so far provided by a real-life organization," according to information on the RIT DataFest site. Teams will get 48 hours April 13-15 to use the data to find a solution to a real-world problem.

Prizes will be awarded for best in show, best visualization and best use of external data.

Founded in 2011 at the University of California Los Angeles, the inaugural event asked participants to fight crime through analysis of every arrest record in the Los Angeles Police Department from the previous five years. Each year, student participants are joined by roving consultants who may be industry professionals, faculty members or graduate students.

"By hosting DataFest for the second year in a row, RIT is making it clear that it is serious about playing a leading role in the shaping and the development of the emerging field of data science," said Ernest Fokoué, associate professor at RIT's School of Mathematical Sciences, in a prepared statement. "It makes RIT a hub of data science in the greater Rochester area."

For more information, visit rit.edu.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • blue wooden cubes block texture abstract background

    Gartner Estimates Worldwide IT Spending at $6.31T for 2026

    Gartner recently forecast that worldwide IT spending will total $6.31 trillion in 2026, a 13.5% increase from 2025. Sectors experiencing the largest growth include data center systems, software, and IT services.

  • Neon blue security locks with a single red highlight

    AI Shifts Cybersecurity Focus from Finding Flaws to Fixing Them

    For decades, one of cybersecurity's most difficult challenges has been finding vulnerabilities before attackers do. A growing number of security professionals now say artificial intelligence is changing that equation, shifting the focus from discovering flaws to fixing them quickly enough to prevent exploitation.

  • Jason Palm

    AI, Identity, and Speed: Cybersecurity Priorities for Higher Ed

    Fortinet Security Operations Specialist Jason Palm explains how AI is raising new security challenges for higher education, requiring stronger governance, identity protection, threat detection, automation, and incident readiness.

  • CIS Sandbox Tutor Eli Blouin at Bentley University imagines a future technology learning partner that supports curiosity, critical thinking, feedback, and personalized learning.

    Student Voices: Technology as a Future Learning Partner

    A data analytics and marketing major at Bentley University and a distinguished lecturer at the university explore the future of "technology learning partners" — technologies that participate in the learning process by asking questions and giving feedback, not just information search results.