Registration open for American Statistical Association DataFest 2026
Registration is now open for the American Statistical Association DataFest 2026 at Penn State, to be held March 20 – 22. DataFest, sponsored by the American Statistical Association (ASA) and Celonis, is an exciting, weekend-long data analysis competition. Over the course of two intense days, teams of up to four students work collaboratively to tackle a real-world data challenge and deliver a compelling analysis to judges and peers.
This year’s sponsor, Celonis, a data-processing company that produces software platforms used by more than 1,400 companies around the world to transform and continuously improve their operations, enable Enterprise AI, and build the next generation of AI-driven, composable solutions fit for any future. During the competition, students will have the opportunity to use their computing platform.
A team of judges will assess each team's final project and give out four awards:
- Best Insights
- Best Visualization
- Best Use of External Data
- Best Use of Celonis Platform
The judges will also nominate a set of teams for the Best in Show prize, which will be determined by a vote of attendees.
ASA DataFest at Penn State is open to undergraduate and master’s degree students at Penn State. When students sign up, they can identify a team or request to be added to a team at check-in on Friday. While doctoral students are not eligible to compete, they are invited to participate as mentors, offering guidance and expertise to student teams throughout the event.
“DataFest provides students with an opportunity to work with real-world data, honing their analysis, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills”, said Neil Hatfield, one of DataFest's organizers. “While in a class setting, students might be constrained to particular type of tool or modeling approach, DataFest allows students to draw upon all their knowledge and try out different approaches.”
Each individual participating in DataFest must complete a registration form. If students form their own team, each member of the team must register separately and include the team’s name on the form. There is no fee to participate, but registration is limited to the first 150 people.