LEXINGTON, Ky., April 4, 2025 (gatton.uky.edu) — A team of University of Kentucky students placed 4th out of 20 teams at the 2025 Econ Games, a national data analytics and consulting competition hosted in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 3–4. The competition challenged students to analyze large, real-world datasets and deliver strategic recommendations to a civic client. This year’s case was presented by the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC), a nonprofit real estate developer focused on revitalizing Cincinnati’s urban core. Competing teams were asked to evaluate how civic space activation and parking availability can enhance tenant retention and attract commercial investment in downtown Cincinnati. Student teams had just 24 hours to clean, analyze, and interpret over 4.3 million rows of civic event and parking data spanning 3+ years and multiple locations. Using tools like Excel and Tableau, the students built interactive dashboards and delivered a data-driven communication strategy to support 3CDC’s efforts in strengthening downtown Cincinnati’s commercial ecosystem. “This competition is a great example of how we’re preparing students to solve real problems in real time,” said Darshak Patel, who co-organizes the event and mentored the UK team. “They combined technical skills with economic reasoning and presented like professionals —demonstrating they’re ready to add value from day one at any company looking to hire data-savvy, solution-oriented talent.” The Econ Games is a signature experiential learning event hosted annually, drawing teams from universities across the country. The event gives students an opportunity to apply classroom concepts to real-world challenges with corporate and nonprofit partners. The Econ Games are organized by co-founders Gatton alumnus Dr. Al-Bahrani (NKU) and Gatton Assistant Professor Dr. Darshak Patel. This year’s competition included 134 students from 20 universities.Seven schools were represented by UK Economics Phd Alumni: David Barrus, Brigham Young University Emily Marshall, Denison University Carla Nietfeld, Miami University Abdullah Al Bahrani, Northern Kentucky University Kylie Jaber, Saginaw Valley State University Ryan Hanson, University of Tennessee
