In the right hands, data holds the power to tell stories, reveal patterns, and drive meaningful change. The inaugural WashU Data Viz Competition celebrated the incredible talent of the WashU community to visualize complex information, highlighting projects that transform raw data into insights that are both impactful and accessible.
This year’s competition featured outstanding work from students, faculty, and staff. A panel of judges recognized three top projects in both the student and faculty/staff divisions, while 89 members of the broader campus community cast their votes for the People’s Choice Award winners at the awards reception.
The Data Viz Competition was featured as part of Love Data Week, and supported by the Digital Intelligence & Innovation (DI2) Accelerator, Institutional Effectiveness, Here & Next, the Office of Medical Education, University Libraries, IT Data Management & Analytics, Arts & Sciences, the Brown School Evaluation Center, Bernard Becker Medical Library, and University Registrar.
These winning visualizations demonstrate technical skill and creativity and illustrate the power of data to inform, persuade, and inspire.
Student Category
- First Place: Allison Chang (PDF)
- Title: Graduation Rates by Financial Aid: A 6-Year U.S. University Trend Map
- Second Place: Katie Stubbs (PNG)
- Title: Graduation Rate Data
- Third Place: Gabriella Arguello
- Title: Graduation Rates of of American Indians & Alaskan Natives By University Ranking
- People’s Choice Award: Gabriella Arguello
- Title: Graduation Rates of of American Indians & Alaskan Natives By University Ranking
Faculty/Staff Category
- First Place: Team KALL to Action – Kayla Manley, Ann Schmidt, Liz Vestal, and Liz Rolf
- Title: Unequal Investments, Unequal Returns: How Financial Aid and Tuition Shape Student Success
- Second Place: Ebuwa Evbuoma-Fike (PNG)
- Title: Pell Grants and Graduation Rates: A Glimpse into the Complexities of Student Success
- Third Place: Maggie Fiock (PNG)
- Title: Graduation Rates and Minimum Wage
- People’s Choice Award: ACCS Research – Ricardo Fonseca, Kranker Lindsay, Michael Alchaer, Marco Henriquez, Fabiana Sanchez
- Title: Public vs Private EMS: Response Time Disparities and Mortality in Trauma
Awards Reception and Dr. Stephanie Evergreen
The WashU community gathered in Knight Hall on Feb. 13, 2025 during Love Data Week festivities at WashU for a keynote address from Dr. Stephanie Evergreen, internationally renowned data viz expert and best-selling author. Following the keynote, the crowd moved to Frick Forum to browse the competition entries and cast their vote for the People’s Choice Award winners. Dr. Evergreen presented the awards for the winning visualizations.
