February 8-12, 2027

Love Data week

Purdue University students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in the Boiler Up, Hammer Data Challenge. One student winner and one faculty/staff winner will advance to the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Data Viz Championship.

Boiler Up Hammer Data Graphic
Love Data Week Banner

Boiler Up, Hammer Data Challenge

Purdue University students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in the Boiler Up, Hammer Data Challenge. This data visualization competition is an opportunity to showcase data viz skills and compete for a chance to advance to the BTAA Data Viz Championship. Students can also compete for cash prizes.

Students will be given a data set and asked to produce a data viz for submission, while faculty/staff may submit an existing viz that highlights Purdue University or one of its projects. Purdue student and faculty/staff submissions will be accepted through December 11, 2026.

Awards will be announced during the Boiler Up, Hammer Data Showcase on January 22, 2027. One student submission and one faculty/staff will advance to the BTAA Data Viz Championship, which takes place during International Love Data Week, February 8-12, 2027. Details about the challenge are outlined below.

Timeline

December 11, 2026 – Student and Faculty/Staff visualizations must be submitted by 11:59 pm

January 22, 2027 – Boiler Up, Hammer Data Showcase, Challenge Winners Announced

February 8 – 12, 2027 – Visualizations & Voting Live for the BTAA Data Viz Championship

February 12, 2027 – Virtual BIG10 showcase

At least one author for each visualization (Student and Faculty/Staff) must be available to present at the showcase.

Voting

Voting information will be shared closer to the Boiler Up, Hammer Data Showcase

Students

Students may compete individually or in teams of two.

Your challenge is to use a NCAA Women’s Basketball Data Set to devise a data visualization to address the question(s) of your choice. Your visualization should be publicly available for voting and judging. Identify a research question, have fun, and be creative!

Daniels School of Business Excellence in Business Insights Award

Prize Amount: $500

The Daniels School of Business Excellence in Business Insights Award celebrates outstanding achievements in data visualization that directly address a business case, question, or strategically position the creator as a valuable employee or researcher. This award recognizes the fusion of analytical acumen and creative storytelling, emphasizing the impact of data visualization on driving informed decision-making in the business context.

This award is sponsored by the Center for Business Communication in the Daniels School of Business

Purdue Libraries Visionary Visualization Award

Prize Amount: $500

The Purdue Libraries Visionary Visualization award celebrates the most unique, creative, or novel data visualization solution that demonstrates an exceptional understanding of chart types for each visualization component. This award highlights the adept use of diverse visualization techniques and the application of best practices in design, ensuring an innovative and effective representation of complex information. The emphasis is on pushing the boundaries of conventional data visualization to unveil new insights.

This award is sponsored by Purdue’s Libraries and School of Information Studies

Applied and Creative Computing Emerging Innovator Award

Prize Amount: $500

(Reserved for an Undergraduate)

The Applied and Creative Computing Emerging Innovator Award celebrates a data visualization that demonstrates hands-on technical skill and a fresh approach to a real-world problem. This award recognizes an applied, learn-by-doing mindset, highlighting curiosity, experimentation, and the willingness to reach for an unfamiliar tool or technique. The emphasis is on identifying emerging talent and rewarding the potential for continued growth.

This award is sponsored by the school of Applied and Creative Computing

Submit Your Data Visualization

Students can submit their data visualization by 11:59 p.m. on December 11, 2026. Voting information will be announced closer to the BTAA competition.

Faculty & staff

Submit an existing visualization that is used on your institution to share information. Visualizations can pertain to the institution as a whole or to a specific initiative or population. Submissions should follow institutional data policies (e.g. disable download of identifiable data) and must be made available publicly on the web for the duration of the challenge.

Ways to Get Involved

FAQs