The inaugural USC Marshall Business Statistics Competition took place on December 11, challenging students to tackle industry problems with solutions learned at Marshall while addressing the competition’s theme, “Doing a Lot with a Little.” The contest was open only to students currently enrolled in BUAD 310: Applied Business Statistics and served as a platform for participants to showcase their most creative projects, spanning everything from fashion to food to the NYC subway system.

Charlie Hannigan, assistant professor of clinical data sciences and operations, founded the competition to inspire his students’ creativity while empowering them to develop projects that can strengthen their job prospects. Hannigan pointed out that in competitive fields such as statistics, it can be a challenge to distinguish oneself. Tangible projects like those developed in the competition can help students stand out from the crowd.

“It’s stats; it’s not easy to get recognized and awarded for that. I want to lift these students up and show them to the world. We have some of the best students around, and I don’t want to be quiet about it,” Hannigan said

Each round in the competition tested the students’ quantitative and qualitative thinking, marrying a theoretical data-driven approach with a real world application, a cornerstone of the Marshall learning experience. Most of all, the competition gave students the opportunity to merge statistical analysis with their passions.

As an example, Hannigan referenced one contestant who’s interested in fashion.

“[Thanks to the competition,] she can now say, ‘I have the quantitative chops to be able to analyze the silk trade, that impacts whether or not these designs are going to be financially viable.’ This is a person who wins on every front. She just has no weaknesses,” Hannigan said.

In the preliminary round, contestants submitted a one-page paper in which they use data analysis to derive meaningful insights about a business, organization, or field of their choice.

“Students are trying to find places where they think there’s an opportunity where a small change could make an outsized impact or where they think some efficiency could result in an outsized gain for the company,” Hannigan said.

To Hannigan’s surprise and delight, students were so inspired by the competition that they asked if they could submit more than one page. According to the professor, students went above and beyond.

“As a professor, it is a joy,” Hannigan said of the enthusiasm. “I have students coming asking me to be able to do more statistics. Are you kidding me? This is a miracle.”

In the first round alone, Hannigan received dozens of entries. He narrowed down the list based on proficiency in four criteria: data exploration, statistical analysis, business analysis, and presentation and formatting.

Thirteen finalists were invited to compete in the live competition at Feritta Hall, where they presented their real world analysis in a four minute slide deck to a panel of four industry judges. Presentations were judged on clarity and structure, depth of analysis, relevance to the theme, presentation style, and creativity and innovation.

Out of the finalists, four were chosen as “Notable Finalists.” The quartet presented again to a full audience and the judges, who asked questions to each finalist.

In the end, Andrew Liu ’26 was selected as the winner for his impressive presentation on overcrowding in the New York City subway system. In his analysis, Liu analyzed foot traffic data during high-congestion hours and offered low-cost solutions to alleviate the problem.

“What’s neat about public transit, though, is that these issues — like crowd flow, congestion hotspots, and peak rush hours — are all measurable data points that we can extract insights from,” Liu said. “When I was brainstorming what real-world challenges a statistical analysis might be useful for, the New York Subway came to mind.”

To Liu, the competition was an excellent chance to showcase his abilities and put his education to practical use.

“I believe that opportunities to showcase your skills and compete against other bright students — like this competition — are some of the most valuable experiences a school like USC offers,” Liu said. “So when I saw a chance to put the statistical skills I had spent the whole semester learning to the test, I took it, and I’m very glad I did!”

Liu was awarded $500, a plaque commemorating his achievement, and the honor of being the first winner of the Marshall Business Statistics Competition.

For Hannigan, the contest was a complete success, drawing numbers beyond his expectations and sparking enthusiasm among his students. The professor reflected that the event was an area in which Marshall seeks to challenge and spotlight its students.

“One reason that Marshall succeeds is that we have such good students, and the school pushes to celebrate those students,” Hannigan said. “When you have high achievers, they don’t want to artificially cap them. Instead, they’re pushing them forward as much as they can.”

Here is a list of the winner, notable finalists, and finalists from the inaugural USC Marshall Business Statistics Competition:

Winner:
Andrew Liu ’26

Notable Finalists:
Andre Sobral Gutierrez ’25
Lauren Jang ’25
Lawrence Yang ’28

Finalists:
Alexander Alonzo ’27
Jessica Bui ’26
Dejanae Johnson ’26
Marisa Ortiz ’26
Oscar Alecio Palencia ’26
Santiago Gonzalez Pascual ’25
Nathaniel Rafe ’26
Courtney Xia ’28
Dylan Yohanan ’26