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2026 Data Competition Engages Students Across Seven Universities
2026 Data Competition Engages Students Across Seven Universities
Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities | Christina Mosley
Published March 27, 2026
Across the Southeast, students are actively participating in the 2026 Data Competition for an Efficient Transportation System Design, a multi-university initiative designed to connect academic learning with real-world application.
This spring, 174 students from seven universities are engaged in this consortium-wide program led by the Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities (CR2C2). Through this initiative, students are applying data, technology, and systems thinking to address transportation challenges affecting rural and regional communities.
At the core of the program is a focus on hands-on learning. Students are developing technical skills in data analytics and problem solving while working with real-world datasets and engaging with stakeholders. From identifying mobility gaps to proposing system improvements, participants are gaining experience that extends beyond the classroom.
This work is supported by faculty leadership across participating institutions. We recognize Venktesh Pandey, Evangelos I. Kaisar, Xiaowei Chen, Sudhagar Nagarajan, Airton Kohls, Oriana Calderon, Steven Jones, Stephan Durham, Harvey Jing, Haizhong Wang, Hao Zhen, Jidong Yang, and Gregory Erhardt for their role in guiding student teams and supporting program implementation across the region.
The competition follows a multi-level structure, with teams first competing within their respective universities. This phase supports collaboration, innovation, and problem solving at the campus level. Top teams will advance to the final competition at the CR2C2 Annual Meeting this April, where they will present alongside peers from across the Southeast.
The program reflects strong collaboration among partner institutions, including North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Florida Atlantic University, University of Alabama, University of Tennessee Knoxville, University of Georgia, Clemson University, and University of Kentucky, each contributing to student engagement and program delivery.
This initiative is supported by American Honda Motor Company, Inc., whose investment helps create opportunities for students to apply technical skills in real-world contexts.
As the competition progresses, student teams continue to develop practical, data-driven approaches to transportation challenges, building experience that will support future work in the field.
Learn more about the competition: https://lnkd.in/e88MJQTY
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