The Rowdy Datathon is an annual data competition held at UTSA, attracting undergraduate and graduate students of all skill levels from across the United States. Participants this year came from Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Texas, and Vermont. Students were tasked with solving a complex data problem, with the goal of proposing actionable recommendations based on their analysis. The competition included beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, providing a pathway for participants of varying expertise. Alongside the competition, students have the opportunity to attend technical workshops on LLMs, Python, SQL, R, time series analysis, and putting it all together.

The 2024 challenge focused on the ambiguity of real-world data, emphasizing that judgment calls often need to be made when working with incomplete or imperfect information. Each year’s challenge is thoughtfully designed with pedagogical principles in mind, ensuring that participants gain a deep understanding of the fundamental concepts and universal principles of data science.