Emily Dean/ Winonan
A Winona State University team placed third at the third annual Midwest Undergraduate Data Analytics Competition (MUDAC), on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6. Winona State hosted MUDAC for the third year after founding the competition back in 2012.
The director of MUDAC, Chris Malone, said the competition was created to give undergraduates the opportunity to work with real statistical data.
“We wanted to give students the opportunity to solve a data analytic problem for a real company,” Malone said.
Malone said the local fastener distribution company, Fastenal, has worked with MUDAC for the past three years. Fastenal supplies the students with a real data problem from within the company, and the students are given 24 hours to solve the problem, write a report and present their findings to the judges.
Undergraduate students with an interest in statistical data are able to compete from all over the Midwest. The competition is open to students from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Jaron Abrbet, a team member from Winona State, said he has participated for the past two years because it is a unique experience.
“One thing that’s cool is that it’s one of a kind,” Arbet said. “Winona is one of the few schools that have this.”
Arbet has watched the competition develop over the past two years and said it has grown in size. The first year Winona State hosted MUDAC 57 students competed, and this year almost 100 students participated.
New to the competition was the panel of judges Winona State set up. Faculty members, Fastenal employees and judges from other companies were there to analyze student work.
Along with Fastenal, MUDAC welcomed judges from Medtronic, 3M and Mayo Clinic. Not only did the panel of judges share advice with the students, but they also allowed participants to submit their resumes to the representatives, Malone said.
Dylan Abts, a statistics major, was one participant to submit his a resume to the panel of judges this year. He said it was a great opportunity for students to mingle with future employers and a way for students to seek out possible internship opportunities.
Abts also expressed how participating in MUDAC for the past three years has given him a leg up on competition in the field, especially since there is no competition of this kind for undergraduate students in the nation.
“Employers have already commented on how unique MUDAC is on a resume and are interested to learn more about it,” Abts said.
For future years, Abts recommends the panel of judges come back, for MUDAC to continue to work with Fastenal and the panel be open for students to ask questions.
Both Abts and Arbet expressed their fondness for the competition and both said if it were not for graduating, they would come back and compete again next year.
