"We saw a variety of languages, techniques, framework, and more used," said Indra N. Garcia-Morales, a junior double major at UTSA in electrical and computer engineering and this year's Datathon director. "Some teams scraped data from the web, used programming tools like Python, R, API Keys, and more to compile their projects. The Rowdy Datathon team was impressed with the immense scope of techniques used to manipulate and analyze the data."

While hackers focused on finding innovative solutions for monarch butterflies, the Datathon offered a broader experience beyond coding and data analysis. Workshops helped participants develop new skills, and team-building activities provided a fun way to connect. A slime-making event, a fan favorite, allowed participants to unwind between hacking sessions.

"The slime event was actually one of the most popular ones," said Natasha Blussick, co-director and a senior human resources management major. "It provided us an excellent opportunity to interact with participants and hear about their experiences throughout the weekend."

Garcia-Morales agreed that the sense of community was a major highlight of the event.

"My favorite moment was walking around the building and engaging with all the participants. Late on Saturday night, I took some time to visit each team, hand out candy and ensure everyone was having a positive experience," she said.

Of the 30 teams that submitted projects, six were selected as winners. The judges, who evaluated the teams based on creativity, technical execution and the potential impact of their solutions, awarded prizes ranging from $200 to $350. The winning teams spanned skill levels, with standouts in the beginner, intermediate and advanced tracks.

Rowdy Datathon winners Fall 2024

Beginner Track

1st Place: butterflyDatathon

Apollo P., Maya K., Sunwook K., and James H.

2nd Place: The Monarch Butterflies Crisis: A Graphical Assessment

Liam M., Arpan D., Isonzo

Intermediate Track

1st Place: Desktop Disciples

Nathan Z., Mei S., Teagan S., Paolo L.

2nd Place: Monarch Butterflies: Monitoring Migration & Population

Ben F., Joselyn C., Tyler S., Jonathan C.

Advanced Track

1st Place: Pesticide Use to Butterfly Migration Analysis

Isha S., and Monique S.

2nd Place: Caution to the Wind

Jordan M., Joseph K., Taylor W.

The Rowdy Datathon was also a learning experience for students in the ACM, the student organization that organized and hosted the event. Reflecting on the event, Garcia-Morales shared some key takeaways for the next iteration of the challenge.

"One of the things we learned is the need to stream our workshops for participants who want to attend without sacrificing hacking time. We also plan to extend the time for workshops to avoid scheduling conflicts and ensure that each session runs smoothly," she said.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.