Oakland University team named SAS Hackathon 2025 champions, wins two Global Awards

Oakland University students and faculty have been named SAS Hackathon 2025 Champions, earning two awards in one of the world's largest and most competitive analytics and artificial intelligence competitions. The recognition marks the third consecutive year an Oakland University team has been honored at the global event.

The SAS Hackathon is an annual international competition that challenges participants to solve real-world problems using advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI. This year's event brought together more than 2,058 participants from over 66 countries, with 125 teams supported by more than 134 SAS mentors.

During the live awards ceremony held on December 11, the Oakland University team received both the SAS Viya Workbench Technology Award and the Sustainability Award, and was formally recognized as a SAS Hackathon 2025 Champion. Judges cited the team's high-caliber business case, technical sophistication, and innovative use of SAS technologies.

The student team included Aswini Sivakumar, a 2024 graduate of Oakland University's Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program and current first-year PhD student in Computer Science and Engineering within the School of Engineering and Computer Science, and Alex Ordonez, who is completing the M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) program this semester.

Working in collaboration with Finext, a consulting firm based in the Netherlands, the team developed an intelligent solution to optimize energy transmission within an electrical grid. The project applied Agentic AI and large language model-based analytics to address complex challenges such as phase identification, load balancing, forecasting future energy demand, and optimizing customer allocation across grid phases.

The solution was built using a range of SAS tools and platforms, integrating machine learning models, visual analytics, and Agentic AI workflow and orchestration. The project showed how advanced analytics can support sustainability goals while improving efficiency and reliability in critical electrical systems. For example, after load balancing, the proposed solution reduced the voltage imbalance factor from 4.8 to 2.9 (40% improvement), the current imbalance percent from 40 to 12 (70% improvement), and the load distribution among phases was made nearly even. This solution demonstrates how intelligent, automated analytics can support utilities in enhancing grid reliability, lowering energy waste, and advancing sustainability outcomes.

"This achievement reflects the strength of our students, the applied nature of our MSBA program, and the value of experiential learning," said Vijayan Sugumaran, Ph.D., Distinguished University Professor of Management Information Systems and Chair of the Department of Decision and Information Sciences. "Working with an international organization on a real-world sustainability challenge is exactly the type of experience that prepares our students to lead in analytics and AI-driven decision making."

Following the competition, SAS formally congratulated the team, noting that their solution exemplified the innovation and real-world impact sought by the judges. As SAS Hackathon Champions, all registered team members received official diplomas, digital award badges, and recognition across SAS platforms.

The team has also been invited to SAS Innovate 2026, SAS's flagship global user conference, to be held April 27 to 30, 2026, in Texas. As champions, the Oakland University team is eligible for consideration for the overall SAS Hackathon 2025 Grand Champion award, which will be announced live during a main stage session at the conference.

Oakland University's continued success at the SAS Hackathon reflects its long-standing partnership with SAS. The university's Institute for Data Science hosts an annual SAS Day Symposium and Workshop, supported by SAS professionals who travel to campus to deliver presentations and training. Students in the MSBA program also earn SAS digital badges through coursework that integrates a wide range of SAS tools and platforms.

Dr. Sugumaran credited the sustained success to strong collaboration and mentorship from SAS leaders, including Liz Moran, Director of Global Academic Programs; Rochelle Fisher, Senior Global Academic Program Manager; Mario Sacco, SAS Hackathon Ambassador and Senior Account Executive, SAS Institute Italy; and James Harroun, Manager of Software Development: Solutions Acceleration and Integrations Division.

In a congratulatory message to the team, Mario Sacco praised their professionalism, technical expertise, and consistency over multiple years, calling the three consecutive wins "a testament to dedication, exceptional faculty mentorship, and a collaborative spirit." It is worth noting that Mario Sacco has been a valuable SAS Mentor to our students and has coordinated the multi-year institutional partnership between SAS and Oakland University.

The achievement underscores Oakland University's commitment to applied analytics education, global engagement, and preparing students to solve complex, real-world challenges through data-driven innovation.