tentatively April 24-26, 2026
tentatively April 24-26, 2026
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What is ASA DataFest?
What is ASA DataFest?
DataFest is a data “hackathon” for students, founded at UCLA in 2011 as a way to make data analysis more fun and meaningful while incentivizing good scientific practice and presentation. Now supported by the American Statistical Association, ASA DataFest is run each year through several host institutions around the world!Â
Fresno State will once again be one of the host institutions this year, giving students at colleges and universities in and around the Fresno and Central Valley regions an opportunity to participate and experience a weekend-long celebration of data!
Any college student* from any major is invited to participate in this fun data analysis challenge. Students work in teams and have less than 48 hours to extract meaningful results from a real and complex dataset provided by a secret sponsor (to be revealed at kick off on Friday). At the end, teams have only a few minutes to present their findings to a panel of judges who determine winners based on various categories.
Mentors will be available to support students, answer questions, offer words of wisdom, or simply act as sounding boards for teams to bounce off ideas.
*If you are a doctoral student, faculty or guest, you can still be involved by being a mentor. If you are interested in being a mentor, click the registration button! For more information, contact earvin@csufresno.edu.
ASA DataFest @ Fresno State is hosted by the Fresno State Department of Mathematics.
A "data-hackathon" for all!
A "data-hackathon" for all!
Hands-on Experience
Hands-on Experience
DataFest will introduce you to what is likely the richest, most complex dataset you’ve seen so far in your college career. This is a unique opportunity to apply your data analysis skills to real-world datasets, provided by well-known businesses and organizations, chosen to provide many avenues of discovery. You will get hands-on experience in data analysis, modeling, and visualization.
Fun and Competition
Fun and Competition
DataFest is a fun and competitive event. You will have the opportunity to work in a team and compete against other teams from different schools. There are prizes for the winning teams, so there is a sense of excitement and motivation to do your best.
Creative Process
Creative Process
Data analysis can be a creative process, and DataFest allows participants to think outside the box and explore new ideas. You'll have the opportunity to develop your own approach to data analysis and visualization, and present your findings in a unique and compelling way.
Networking
Networking
Mingle with faculty mentors and local industry professionals who visit DataFest to offer their advice and answer your questions. You’ll also get to meet other students (some from other colleges and universities) who share an interest in learning and working with data.
Skill Development
Skill Development
DataFest allows you to develop your data analysis and problem-solving skills further. Past participants have gone to job interviews and are able to describe how they can overcome technical challenges, explain how they work under time pressure, and can talk about their thought processes in solving real-life data-problems.
Awards for Best Insight, Best Visualization, and Best Use of External Data.
Awards for Best Insight, Best Visualization, and Best Use of External Data.
Things to know
Things to know
Students must participate in teams of 2-4 students. (Students can still register without a team and will be placed into teams after registration).
All undergrad and masters students from any college and university are allowed to participate.
BYOL: Bring your own laptop.
You may use any software for data analysis (e.g., R, Python, Tableau, Excel, etc.)
Mini-workshops, led by data experts, available on Friday to get you started!
You can come and go as you please, but are encouraged to work on the data on premises.
Mentors are there to provide support, answer questions, and may offer advice to help guide students in the right direction.Â
Final presentations: On Sunday, each team will be allowed only a few minutes to present a few slides of their findings to a panel of judges.
Food will be provided throughout the weekend!
*Additional information and details will be given out during the event.
Participation is free! Plus, snacks!
Participation is free! Plus, snacks!
Volunteer to be a Mentor!
Volunteer to be a Mentor!
Mentors will be available throughout the weekend to support students, answer questions, offer words of wisdom, or simply act as sounding boards for teams to bounce off ideas.
Sponsors 2025
Sponsors 2025
Give to DataFest @ Fresno State!
Give to DataFest @ Fresno State!
DataFest brings the data science community together and promotes collaboration, creativity, critical and practical analysis skills, and most of all, fun.
DataFest brings the data science community together and promotes collaboration, creativity, critical and practical analysis skills, and most of all, fun.
Each year, we need funding for food, prizes and t-shirts. We also need volunteers to contribute their time to judge final presentations, run a mini-workshop/tutorial, or serve as a mentor helping teams with general coding/data questions.
Each year, we need funding for food, prizes and t-shirts. We also need volunteers to contribute their time to judge final presentations, run a mini-workshop/tutorial, or serve as a mentor helping teams with general coding/data questions.
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