UA Students Win Big in SAS Data Analytics Competition

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Two University of Alabama students were big winners at the national 2015 SAS Analytics Student Poster competition.

Matt Collins, of Greensboro, and Taylor Larkin, of Tuscaloosa, both students at UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce, are two of only six SAS Student Poster Contest winners from all participating universities.

“Having two of the six winners from all participating universities is something our students and University can be proud of,” said Dr. Denise McManus, professor and director of UA’s Institute of Business Analytics.

“We strive to be a higher education leader in business analytics, and when our students are able to provide successful solutions to business problems in this type ‘real world’ setting, it is a testament to the rigorous curriculum we provide at the University and College level,” McManus said.

Five students from UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce participated in the SAS Poster Contest, and all five were selected to present their posters at the SAS Analytics Conference in Las Vegas Oct. 25-26.

In addition to the poster winners, Larkin and Collins, three other UA students who will present at the upcoming conference are Taylor Anderson, of Vestavia Hills, Cameron Jagoe, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Huan Li, of China.

Students from universities around the country entered the contest by submitting posters that showcased a business problem along with research goals and a description of how analytics were used to improve a process.

The students then presented their work in a one-to-one setting with analytics professionals. The students must have shown documentation of the steps taken and the results. The top six student poster winners, which include Larkin and Collins, receive a free trip to the conference, courtesy of SAS, to present their research.

The SAS Analytics Conference is an annual, two-day event bringing together professionals, industry experts and leading researchers from the analytics field.