Computer science student is winner at DataFest 2023

Caldwell University computer science and financial economics student Saurav Ghimire took first prize along with his team members at DataFest 2023, which was held March 31-April 2 at Vassar College.  Ghimire’s team won the top prize in the category of “The Best Data Visualization”.  

Ghimire, a freshman, was thrilled with the win. “This achievement would not have been possible without my professors’ valuable guidance and support, particularly Professor Vlad Veksler, Ph.D. and the School of Computer Science. Winning this competition is a testament to the incredible effort, dedication and teamwork that went into our project. It is an honor to be recognized by the Best Data Visualization team and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for all of us.” 

As described on the site, “DataFest is a data analysis competition where teams of up to five students have a weekend to attack a large, complex, and surprise dataset.” The groups work with their team members and consult mentors.  DataFest is sponsored by the American Statistical Association, Vassar and area community colleges.  

Veksler was very happy to learn of his student’s win. “We have outstanding computer science students and Saurav is an excellent example. We are very proud, though not at all surprised, that our students are doing well and winning intercollegiate computer science competitions.”

Ghimire appreciated being able to network with professionals, work with real-world data and receive guidance from data analysts at large companies, including AT&T.

Caldwell’s School of Business and Computer Science offers students a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science to prepare for a technology career with a strong foundation in computer programming with focused electives.

Virginia H. Rich, associate dean of the School, is particularly pleased with the data analysis opportunities open to students. “Competitions, and our students’ excellent performance in them, validate the skills they are acquiring in our programs. Our recent innovations and improvements in the computer science labs, the Bloomberg Financial Markets Lab, our new Data Camp software, and revised program curricula, all combine to allow our students to develop the data-intensive skills needed to be successful in today’s ever-evolving workplace.”

Students are provided opportunities to participate in Computer Science research and to publish and present their work at local and professional conferences. Current undergraduate research spans various topics, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and human-computer interaction. For details, see the CogAI Research Lab website.

The School also provides comprehensive offerings for students seeking either general or specialized degrees in the fields of business and technology. The increasingly-popular five-year tracks (BS/MBA and BS/MS Accounting) are rigorous programs for motivated students seeking to advance their business skills on an expedited basis.