Carey Business School’s Business Analytics and Risk Management students took their innovative ideas to Orlando, Florida for this year’s INFORMS Analytics Conference. The annual conference is a practitioner-oriented event that explores the latest developments in analytics for solving business problems.

The conference offers attendees the chance to explore over 100 presentations and network with top leaders in analytics, data science, AI, machine learning, and mathematics. Over three days, attendees also participated in workshop sessions and panel discussions to discuss relevant trends and challenges in analytics and data. The conference featured 16 different tracks ranging from analytics leadership and business administration to logistics, game theory, and strategy. Each track offered speaker sessions where attendees could hear from leaders at top organizations on how they are using analytics and data for things like accuracy, efficiency, and effectiveness.

A portion of the conference was dedicated to student poster presentations, only a handful of which were selected for admission from the pool of submissions. Nine of Carey’s BARM students submitted posters–all of which were accepted, with eight students participating in the conference.

Participating BARM students included: Nikki An, Shan Jiang, Yuyang Wu, Biao Xiang, Ziyu Yang, Yilin Yang, Fanke Zhao, and Congyi Zhang.

Each student diligently prepared a poster about an analytics problems they were passionate about.

Jiang: “My poster examined predicting heart attacks using multiple machine learning methods. Research indicates that 80 percent of heart attacks can be prevented with early detection, which motivated me to conduct this research.

Attending the INFORMS Conference was a fantastic experience. I learned a lot from the sessions and was thrilled to build new connections with students, professors, and industry experts. These interactions were both inspiring and motivational.”

Ziyu Yang: “My poster presentation focused on risk control and performance management—areas I am deeply passionate about. My poster, “Robust Portfolio Management vs. Traditional Portfolio Management on Risky Assets,” aimed to highlight the advantages of robust portfolio management in reducing risks associated with volatile assets.

The INFORMS Conference was an incredibly enriching experience with several takeaways. It highlighted the importance of networking, offered deep insights into the latest trends and research in operations research and management sciences, and provided practical advice and mentorship. The conference was a pivotal experience that enhanced my professional development and expanded my network in the field of treasury and risk management.”

Along with poster presentations, two students–Yuyang Wu and Fanke Zhao–submitted their posters for consideration at the Disney Data and Analytics (DDA) conference, where only four women are selected annually to receive the Disney Data & Analytics Women award, which celebrates and supports women passionate about data and analytics. The DDA conference brings together data enthusiasts to share insights and build connections.

Wu submitted her poster, “From Paris to Shanghai to Orlando,” and Zhao submitted, “Achieving Capital Appreciation through Analytics-Driven Risk Diversification.” Results will be shared prior to the conference in September.

“I firmly believe that women’s contributions in this field should be recognized, and their voices should be heard. As more women join the world of analytics, we can infuse the industry with new energy and diversity,” Zhao said. “Whether I win or not, it’s crucial that at least my voice is heard, and my intention to highlight the importance of women in the analytics industry and advocate for greater representation and diversity can be seen.”

Click through the photos below to see more from the INFORMS Conference. Please visit the program webpage for more information on the Master of Science in Business Analytics and Risk Management program.