WKU News

Five students from Western Kentucky University's Gordon Ford College of Business (GFCB) proudly showcased their research at the prestigious 2025 INFORMS Analytics Conference, held April 6–9 in Indianapolis. As one of the top international events for analytics professionals, the conference provided a platform for students to present innovative data-driven solutions to real-world challenges.

GFCB Students attending were Jenna Wells, Ryan Spychalski, Michael Delaney, John Costa, and Cole Kidd—all students in the Business Data Analytics program. Their research ranged from public health and student retention to planetary defense and customer satisfaction, each project demonstrating the power of predictive analytics and machine learning.

• Ryan Spychalski explored the growing impact of social media on mental health, identifying behavioral patterns and proposing data-driven tools for early intervention.
• John Costa developed a Random Forest model using NASA data to detect hazardous Near-Earth Objects, contributing to global planetary defense strategies.
• Michael Delaney tackled healthcare analytics by modeling body fat percentage through basic physical measurements, offering a low-cost, non-invasive approach to personal health monitoring.
• Jenna Wells investigated college student retention, creating models that predict dropout risk using demographic and academic indicators to improve institutional support systems.
• Cole Kidd analyzed more than 100,000 airline survey responses to identify key drivers of customer satisfaction, supporting improved experiences in commercial air travel.

Each student was mentored by Dr. Lily Popova Zhuhadar, Director of the WKU Center for Applied Data Analytics (CADA), whose leadership continues to drive student innovation and real-world impact.

In addition to presenting, the students had the unique opportunity to connect with industry leaders, including INFORMS President Dave Hunt and Shaun Doheney, AWS Principal Analytics Leader and Conference Chair.

Their participation at INFORMS reflects WKU’s dedication to applied learning, academic excellence, and preparing students for impactful careers in data analytics and beyond.