PFW’s Data Science team finishes strong at DataPalooza competition

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—What do healthy babies and their moms and a team of Purdue University Fort Wayne data science students have in common? More than one might think.

The student team took part in a data visualization and analytics challenge, otherwise known as a DataPalooza Competition, this past weekend at Parkview Health’s Education Center in Fort Wayne.

The goal was to use various data sets to come up with ways to improve the overall health of infants and mothers as part of the state-wide OB Navigator program. That program was established this year, and according to its website it is designed “to identify women early in their pregnancies and connect them with an OB navigator—a home visitor who provides personalized guidance and support to a woman during her pregnancy through at least the first six to 12 months after her baby’s birth.”

Purdue Fort Wayne’s team, appropriately named Mastodons, made it to the finals and placed second after competing against teams from Purdue West Lafayette, the University of Indianapolis, the University of Michigan, and the Krannert School of Business at Purdue West Lafayette. The Michigan team took top honors.

“What a terrific accomplishment. This really puts Purdue Fort Wayne on the map,” proclaimed Chancellor Ronald Elsenbaumer when he was told the results of the competition. “Wonderful job by all involved and my sincere congratulations to our students. They shine brightly!”

“This is an outstanding accomplishment for our students in our young program, which is just a year old,” says Peter Dragnev, professor and chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences.

Meet the team members:

• Nguyen Nguyen: double-majoring in actuarial science and data science; expected to graduate in May 2020.
• Linh Le: double-majoring in actuarial science and data science; expected to graduate in fall 2019 and begin as a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Mathematical Sciences in spring 2020.
• Hang Fey (Chris) Chan: double-majoring in actuarial science and data science; expected to graduate in December 2019.
• Yanxuan (Anna) Liang: graduate student in mathematics with a focus in applied statistics; expected to graduate in May 2020.
• Xiao Yuan: graduate student in mathematics with a focus in applied statistics; expected to graduate in May 2020.
• Faculty advisor: Yihao Deng, associate professor of statistics.
• Assistant faculty advisors: Bin Chen, associate professor of electrical engineering; Chand Chauhan, associate professor of applied statistics; Alessandro Selvitella, assistant professor of data science and applied statistics; Daniel Yorgov, assistant professor of applied statistics; and Yvonne Zubovic, associate professor of biostatistics and survival analysis.

For more information about the Data Science program or the competition team, contact Professor Dragnev at 260-481-6383 or [email protected].

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