Under the direction of School of Business Professor Dr. Vijayan Sugumaran, two Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) students, Aswini Sivakumar and Yashashri Kadam, won the Energy track at the 2024 SAS Hackathon. This win officially jump-started OU's winning streak at the SAS Hackathon, as a school of business team won in 2023 in the Forecasting track.   

This worldwide gathering unites data enthusiasts from various countries, backgrounds, and expertise levels from both academia and industry, to harness the power of diverse teams and create meaningful solutions. The goal is to innovate ideas that could transform daily life, revolutionize business practices or address humanitarian challenges. This event embodies the belief that when curious minds come together, everyone benefits. 

Senior Global Academic Program Manager at SAS, Rochelle Fisher, reflected on her experience with the Oakland University team saying, “Time and again, I see your students tackle challenging projects with impressive skill and professionalism. [Oakland University] ha[s] this remarkable ability to push them beyond their comfort zones while giving them the support they need to succeed. The way you blend academic rigor with practical industry applications is exactly what makes your teaching approach so effective.” 

Sivakumar and Kadam titled their project “Climate change and challenges to nuclear plant safety – AI/ML analysis of extreme weather events.” The team identified various natural hazards (floods, wildfires, severe weather and more), uncovered correlations between hazards, analyzed hazard characteristics and affected regions, and estimated the probability of occurrence and risk to new and existing nuclear facilities.

The project involved invaluable collaborations with international experts. The students worked with Paolo Contri and Jan Stowisek of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria, who provided the use case and helped define the problem. They also worked with Chris Chiesa and Cassie Stelow of the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC Global), Hawaii, to acquire and prepare the relevant data for geospatial analysis. Duncan Bain from SAS Institute, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, provided the technical support. 

International mentor Mario Sacco, senior account executive and strategic innovation partner for energy and public sectors at SAS Institute, Rome, Italy, shared his positive experience working with Oakland University MSBA students: “Aswini Sivakumar and Yashashri Kadam's performance in this year's Hackathon truly underscores the exceptional capabilities of your MSBA program,” he said. “What sets your students apart is their remarkable proficiency: their advanced skills in data analysis, sophisticated understanding of analytical models, and comprehensive expertise.” 

The MSBA program equips students with the tools to meet the growing demand for data science and business analytics professionals. Graduates gain expertise in data mining, machine learning, statistical forecasting, visual data analytics and other analytics fundamentals, all within a framework that combines strategic perspectives and real-world connections—key factors in Oakland University’s reputation as a top-tier U.S. business school. Explore the career outcomes of MSBA graduates here.

Distinguished Professor of Management Information Systems in the School of Business, Dr. Vijayan Sugumaran, added: “This win is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Aswini and Yashashri, and it highlights the caliber of talent we cultivate here at Oakland University. Their innovative approach to leveraging AI/ML for global challenges reflects our commitment to preparing students for impactful careers in analytics."

As a result of this success, Dr. Sugumaran has been invited to present OU’s use case at the SAS Innovate 2025 conference in May 2025. Additionally, the OU team, as winners of the 2024 SAS Hackathon, has been nominated for the Grand Champion Award. The winner will be announced at the Innovate conference. 

View OU’s project and video here.