Master’s in Applied Data Science Autumn 2024 Capstone Showcase

The Capstone Showcase represents the pinnacle of the student experience in the University of Chicago’s MS in Applied Data Science program. This event merges academic knowledge with practical, real-world challenges across various key research areas. This year, 37 capstone teams presented their projects, leading all phases of problem-solving with the support of faculty, staff, and industry experts. While projects spanned numerous industries, data types, and methodologies, all teams exhibited professionalism, pride, and commitment to excellence. The judges observed that the Showcase featured a diverse array of research-focused, industry-generated, and independent student projects spanning healthcare, marketing, supply chain, financial services, and more.

Paula Payton is the Head of the Center for Machine Intelligence and Data Science (MInDS) at Deloitte Research & Insights. She also happened to be a distinguished industry judge for the Autumn 2024 Capstone Showcase, her third year running. Impressed with the caliber of the graduate student presentations, Payton said, “Talk about pushing back the frontiers in applied AI…. talented students presented unbelievably original solutions to classic industry problems. That was exciting for me to see as a professional in the field and also someone who cares very deeply about data science and AI education.”

One of the standout projects was “Once Upon,” a storytelling app that uses AI to craft personalized stories for children based on their imagination and preferences. The team, consisting of Hima Cheruvu, Nia Gangar, Rishika Ravindran, and Christian Piantanida, shared their inspiration: “Our inspiration came from a moment of pure frustration and imagination. A few years ago, one of our team members’ then 4-year-old neighbor tried to get Amazon Alexa to tell her a story about her favorite princess going to swimming class. Alexa couldn’t quite deliver, and her neighbor was so frustrated that she started yelling at Alexa. That experience stuck with her—it showed how much children want to hear stories that are unique and personally meaningful to them, yet existing technology struggled to meet that need.” The student team wanted to create a tool that inspires creativity while empowering kids to be part of the storytelling process.

Learn more about the projects that won Best in Show below.