Data Connect: Harvard

Onsite Address:

# CGIS South S020 Belfer Case Study Room

Join us at KNIME Data Connect on the Harvard Campus for an inspiring evening of insights, innovation, and networking. Hear from experts at KNIME and Clark University as they share real-world success stories and explore the latest in AI-driven analytics with the KNIME Analytics Platform.

KNIME offers a unified platform for end-to-end data science. Beyond workflow creation, commercial teams rely on KNIME to protect sensitive data, validate and monitor AI models, and ensure results are both explainable and trustworthy.

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## Agenda

5:30 PM – 5:45 PM | Welcome & Kickoff
Speaker: Lingbo Liu, Harvard Center for Geographic Analysis

5:45 PM – 6:30 PM | Introduction to KNIME Analytics Platform & AI Developments
Speaker: Aline Bessa, KNIME

• Overview of the platform
• Recent advancements in AI and agentic workflows

6:30 PM – 7:30 PM | Empowering Data Analytics Education: Hands-On and Elbow Learning with the KNIME Student Challenge

Speaker: Hamidreza Ahady Dolatsara, Clark University
The KNIME Student Challenge was a highly engaging educational initiative that I integrated into my class to provide students with real-world data science experience. Supported by KNIME, students were encouraged to tackle practical analytics problems using the KNIME Analytics Platform, allowing them to bridge the gap between academic theory and hands-on analytics application. KNIME's extensive support included direct support from their strong team, access to tutorials, and sample projects. The challenge not only enhanced students' technical skills but also fostered collaboration; what I call “elbow learning” by encouraging peer-to-peer discussion, teamwork, and group problem-solving. Beyond the classroom, KNIME amplified motivation by offering meaningful rewards such as internship opportunities at globally recognized companies, certification opportunities, and public recognition for top performers. The overall experience was transformative for both students and me as the instructor, cultivating essential soft skills, deepening understanding, and sparking enthusiasm for data analytics. Integrating the KNIME Student Challenge demonstrated the powerful impact of industry-partnered, hands-on learning and is a model I would recommend to other educators seeking to inspire and empower their students.

7:30 PM – 8:00 PM | Game of Nodes – KNIME Student Challenge
Speakers: Vibha Srinivasa and Shubham Suman

• Personal journey using KNIME from student projects to real-world applications
• Key milestones: data preprocessing, machine learning models, and competition success

8:00 PM – 8:15 PM | Award Ceremony

Speakers:

Hamidreza Ahady Dolatsara
Dr. Hamid is an Assistant Professor at Clark University’s School of Business, specializing in data science applications for blockchain, healthcare, and decision-making. He is committed to integrating AI into his teaching and research while staying at the forefront of emerging technologies. At Clark, Dr. Hamid leads the Business Edge Technologies Lab, bridging advanced analytics, machine learning, and real-world solutions.
His background spans both academia and industry, where he has developed and taught innovative courses on blockchain, cryptocurrency, business intelligence, and big data programming. Dr. Hamid’s research includes published work on cryptocurrency, interpretable machine learning, and healthcare, as well as other studies on AI applications. He is an active contributor to academia, regularly presenting at international conferences and serving as an editorial board member and reviewer for several leading journals. Through his interdisciplinary scholarship and professional activities, Dr. Hamid is dedicated to preparing the next generation of leaders to leverage data and innovation in addressing complex global challenges.

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Vibha Srinivasa
Vibha Srinivasa is a graduate student pursuing her MS in Business Analytics at Clark University. She works as a teaching assistant and peer mentor, helping students build confidence in using tools like KNIME and Power BI. This summer, she is interning at Hologic.
Vibha was a finalist in the KNIME Game of Nodes competition, which gave her the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with professionals worldwide. She is passionate about using data to drive impact, particularly in the areas of healthcare, sustainability, and social good.

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Shubham Suman
Shubham Suman is an MBA graduate in Business Analytics from Clark University with over four years of experience in data analysis, reporting, and business intelligence. His expertise lies in using tools such as SQL, Python, Tableau, Power BI, and KNIME to transform data into actionable insights.
He was also a finalist in the KNIME Game of Nodes competition, which provided him with an opportunity to learn from and collaborate with professionals around the globe.