On April 4, 2025, Bentley University hosted the Analytics Without Borders conference, co-sponsored by Bryant University, Tufts University, Nichols College, the Boston Chapter of the American Statistical Association (BCASA), the Center for Health and Business at Bentley University (CHB), and the National Institute of Statistical Sciences (NISS).
The conference aimed to foster collaboration among diverse analytics communities, attracting 102 registrations from corporate professionals, students, and faculty from various institutions. Speakers and panelists discussed current trends in analytics and AI, blending research and projects from multiple areas.
A key highlight was the student research competition, co-sponsored by NISS, which received 10 submissions from undergraduate and graduate students. The top three projects in each level were awarded the prestigious Excellent Student Research Award for AWB 2025, including a cash prize and digital certificate.
Undergraduate Level Winners:
1. Akshay Ramana (Bentley University) - "Foreign Aid and Child Health in Sub-Saharan Africa"
2. Jesus Bautista Lopez (Bentley University) - "Classifying Coral Reef Health Utilizing Transfer Learning"
3. Roman Gavrilov and Otar Tchitchinadze (Bentley University) - "Transformations of Families of Orthogonal Polynomials"
Graduate Level Winners:
1. Gabrielle Friedman and Omeed Tavakoli (Bentley University) - "Can AI Grade Mathematical Proofs"
2. Safae Jdid and Lamyae Jdid (Babson College) - "Advancing Medical Imaging with Convolutional Neural Networks"
3. Christian Savastano and Henry Dao (Bentley University) - "Using Sentiment Analysis and Topic Modeling to Examine Comments in Administrative Rulemaking"
The conference successfully showcased the integration of research and practical applications in analytics, emphasizing the importance of preparing for advancements in AI.
Thursday, May 22, 2025 by Maggie Zhang