In April, SIAM-MTI hosted its third annual Quantathon. The two-day, hackathon-style event is designed to test student teams on problems involving quantitative finance, data analysis, and actuarial judgment.
The Budgeting Challenge
This year’s problem required participants to design a budget rollout for the city of Columbus' lead and galvanized pipe replacement program. Teams had to analyze primary datasets to model infrastructure depreciation and allocate municipal funds effectively, balancing logistical constraints with financial risk management.
Sponsorship and Judging
The event was sponsored by Columbus Water and Power. Emilie Eskridge represented the organization and delivered an introductory presentation titled "Columbus' Lead Elimination Assistance Program." In addition to providing the core datasets for the competition, representatives from Columbus Water and Power evaluated and handled the final ranking of the student submissions.
Participation and Results
The event concluded with the following metrics and outcomes:
- Attendance: 37 individual participants forming 7 student teams.
- Winning Team: Jack Huynh, Maddox Roy, and Pranshu Shrivastava.
- Awards: The winning team received a $600 cash prize, promotional merchandise, and a scheduled site visit to a Columbus Water and Power plant.