Feb 24, 2026 Data CommUnications Challenge Celebrates Student Data Projects

Posted at 12:06h in Events by
0 Likes

By Madison Golden, research data librarian 

Data librarians Madison Golden and Kaylee Alexander spearheaded the Data CommUnications Challenge, as part of Love Data Week. Students were challenged to turn their data into a story that captivates and informs audiences. Their work showcased transforming complex data into clear, compelling narratives and on Friday, February 13, the three winners were announced at the showcase event. 

“The inaugural Data CommUnication Challenge highlighted the remarkable talent of our students and the vital role events like this play in supporting their academic and professional development,” comments Madison Golden, research data librarian at the Marriott Library. “All of this was made possible through the generous sponsorship of Adobe and Cisco and the dedication of our judges who gave their time and insight.”  

1st Place: Nastaran Jadidi: School of Computing: “Utah Preterm Births – Comprehensive Analysis” Dashboard 

Prize: Bang & Olufsen Cisco 980 Headphones, donated by Cisco

2nd Place: Brittain Corbett: City and Metropolitan Planning, “Where the “GTFS” is My Bus?” Dashboard 

Prize: Gift card donated by Adobe

A person is posed for a studio portrait against a plain gray backdrop. They are wearing a light-colored, long-sleeve ribbed sweater. Their posture is upright, with shoulders relaxed and hands not visible in the frame. The background is softly lit, creating a neutral and professional appearance.

People’s Choice: Jackson Hubbard: Economics: “Impact of New Sports Stadiums” Dashboard 

A group of people stands together in a room with warm wood-paneled walls and large windows that reveal an outdoor concrete structure. The group is arranged in two rows, with some standing close together and others spaced slightly apart. They are dressed in a variety of casual and business-casual clothing, including sweaters, button-down shirts, jackets, and slacks. Behind them, a poster on an easel is partially visible on the right side. The carpeted floor and ceiling lights give the setting a professional, indoor event atmosphere.

Comment from First-place Winner Nastaran Jadidi 

I designed my dashboard to guide the viewer through that story step by step. I start with an overview of preterm birth, why it’s a serious concern, and why it needs attention. From there, I compared national U.S. statistics with Utah-specific data, then went deeper into Utah’s numbers broken down by age, ethnicity, and county. This was my first time presenting a dashboard in this format, so I was genuinely excited to hear the judges’ and visitors’ feedback. I will use their comments to improve my dashboard! 

I also really enjoyed getting to know the other participants and learning about their methods and the stories they chose to tell. It was inspiring to see the different approaches everyone took, and I think everyone did a fantastic job!”  

Thank You to These Judges! 

  • Alan Wilson, Principal Designer, Adobe 
  • Kevin Coe, Director of the Edna Anderson Taylor Communication Institute, University of Utah 
  • Ammon Cookson, Program Strategy and Execution Leader at Cisco 
  • Dan Hopkins, Senior Consultant, Operational Services at Health Catalyst 
  • Echo Waner, Assistant Professor, Co-director of DELPHI at Huntsman Cancer Institute 
  • Justin Sorenson, GIS Specialist at Marriott Library   

Have some data questions? Kaylee and Madison have drop-in sessions every Thursday. Or, contact Madison.Golden@utah.edu to schedule a time. 

No Comments

Post A Comment