The University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, in partnership with Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, is pleased to announce the Second Annual Super Analytics Challenge.
“We are excited to have an opportunity to partner with the Katz Graduate School of Business to challenge students to dedicate their creativity, ingenuity, and dedication to becoming catalysts of change in our three rivers region,” said Lisa Scales, president and CEO of the Food Bank. “We are thrilled that this year’s Super Analytics Challenge is focused on food insecurity, and we look forward to learning from the students as they tackle this complex issue. The Challenge is a dynamic process, and we expect that it will have a meaningful impact on ensuring all our neighbors have enough food to eat.”
Following last year’s focus on homelessness, 35 graduate students from across the university are divided into seven teams. They will leverage their business skills and data acumen to develop innovative ideas around food insecurity and hunger in the Pittsburgh region. The challenge will formally run from February 11-18, 2022, with the public invited to view the final judging via Zoom.
“Our team at Pitt Business worked alongside Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to examine food insecurity in our region” says Christopher Barlow, Director of Corporate Engagement and Career Services for Katz. “The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated this issue across the globe, and Pitt students are eager to begin developing solutions to help.”
Throughout the Super Analytics Challenge, the seven teams will frame a high-impact question, create a data methodology, and generate an operable solution. According to Andrew Hannah, Adjunct Professor and Executive in Residence for Pitt Business, solutions will be judged based on “the depth of their analytical thinking, the pragmatism of the solution proposed, and a demonstrable understanding of the context that will actually help people.”
Corporate Partners
Pitt Business organized an advisory committee consisting of representatives from corporate partners at Highmark Health, the Heinz Endowments, Accenture, the Pittsburgh Technology Council, SAP, Mastercard, and Giant Eagle. Executives from these organizations not only helped shape the challenge case, but serve as executive coaches, analytical methods experts, and subject matter specialists who work alongside the graduate students to share experience and knowledge and provide guidance on the proposed solutions.
The winning team will have the opportunity to implement some of their innovative ideas, the details of which will be announced following the conclusion of the Challenge in the second half of Spring 2022.
“The success of the 2021 Super Analytics Challenge highlighted the necessity for graduate schools to provide their students the opportunity to create real impact by leveraging their skills and knowledge,” says Sara Moeller, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs at Katz. “By solidifying this as an annual event, we continue to emphasize the importance of combining classroom concepts with integrated learning opportunities. Our goal is for the challenge to continually serve as a signature event that both enriches our students’ learning experiences while generating tangible change in the wider Pittsburgh community.”
Watch the Final Judging
The public is invited to view the final presentations, judging, and awards ceremony on Friday, February 18, beginning at 11 AM EST. If you are interested in attending the judging session, fill out this form to receive the Zoom login information and the final agenda. There will also be a follow-on Symposium scheduled for April 2022 during which further research about food insecurity and hunger will be presented. Follow along at business.pitt.edu for more details about the Symposium as they are released. Students and corporate partners will also be posting about their experiences using the hashtag #KatzImpact, and we invite you to review those social media posts as well.
To learn more about how you can get involved in a program like the Super Analytics Challenge at Pitt Business, please contact the career management team at careermanagement@katz.pitt.edu. You can give back to Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank at https://pittsburghfoodbank.org/.
