Apiary Events Archive
Data CommUnication Challenge
Do U Love Data? Join the Data CommUnication Challenge for Love Data Week!
If you think you can turn data into a story that captivates and informs audiences, we want to see it! Marking the end of Love Data Week, the Data CommUnication Challenge invites undergraduate and graduate students to showcase their ability to transform complex data into clear, compelling narratives. Submit your best work and show how data can inspire action and
spark understanding. Choose from two submission tracks designed to highlight different approaches to data storytelling:
Track 1: Data Dashboard
Participants design a dashboard (or series of dashboards) that tell a clear, impactful story through data. This track draws inspiration from Tableau’s Iron Viz, encouraging participants to combine technical, design, and narrative skills. Participants may use any visualization software or coding language they prefer.
Track 2: Short-Format Video
Participants create engaging short-form content—such as TikTok-style videos, Instagram reels, or other brief multimedia formats—that communicate insights in a concise and creative way. This track is inspired by ICPSR’s Data Communication Scholarship, which emphasizes accessibility and creativity in data storytelling. Participants in this track who use ICPSR data in their submissions will be eligible to apply for the ICPSR Scholarship, offering an additional incentive to explore and leverage rich social science datasets.
Ready to share your data story or just want to stay informed about this event? Sign up to receive challenge updates HERE.
Missed our info session on 12/11? View the recording, download our slides, or email us for more information.
Prizes:
1st Place: Bang & Olufsen Cisco 980 headset ($900 value) courtesy of Cisco Systems
2nd Place: $200 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of Adobe
Our Judges:
Kevin Coe (Professor of Communication, University of Utah)
Ammon Cookson (PMO Leader, Cisco Systems)
Dan Hopkins (Sr. Consultant for Operational Services, Health Catalyst)
Justin Sorenson (GIS Specialist, J. Willard Marriott Library)
Echo Warner (Co-Director, DELPHI Data Science Initiative)
Alan Wilson (Principal Designer, Experience Cloud, Adobe)
J. Willard Marriott Blog | Data CommUnications Challenge Celebrates Student Data Projects
Love Data Week 2026
Join us in celebrating International Love Data Week 2026 with pop up activities from February 9-13. Daily activities will be in the Marriott Library's protospace with additional activities in the Eccles Health Sciences Library and the Warnock Engineering Building, all leading up to the Data Communication Challenge (see the next event on this page for details). See the graphic below for dates and locations of each activity.
Activity Descriptions
Button Making: Join us for Valentine’s Day Button-Making and design a custom button using data-based designs, clever puns, or statistical love notes.
Data Valentines: Create a data-based Valentine with clever stats and data puns, because nothing says "love" like a well-labeled axis
Collaborative Data Visualizations: Collaborate with your fellow students to show how you "Student" at the University of Utah. Participate by sharing how you study, connect, create and thrive on campus - your way! Each location will have a unique prompt.
Data Puzzles: Put your puzzle-solving skills to the test with Valentine’s Day–themed data crosswords, games, and brain teasers.
Bridging the Data Divide
November 22, 2025
Researchers and professionals face complex questions that can only be answered by combining data from multiple sources. The event featured Jeremias Solari, Marina Kogan, Nina De Lacy, Ramkiran Gouripeddi, and Vikrant G. Deshmukh in conversation about strategies for bridging these data divides and enhancing research collaboration. A networking lunch with panelists and attendees followed the discussion.
How We OA: A Conversation on Open Access Research
October 22, 2025
This panel was moderated by Allyson Mower and featured Caren Frost, Bryan Hull, Heidi Stringham, and Emily Lawhead. Held during International Open Access Week, this event brought together campus experts to discuss current topics in open access publishing across the research ecosystem, including any research outputs and materials—from datasets and imaging models to books and peer-reviewed articles. Panelists discussed university resources for participating in, promoting, and engaging with transparent and accessible research outputs with Open Access publishing, including data.
Replicability Workshop
October 2, 2025
In support of the University of Utah’s commitment to the highest standards of research integrity, accountability, and responsibility, the Office of Research Education welcomed Kaylee Alexander and Madison Golden for a hands-on workshop focused on replicability in research activities. In alignment with federal agency guidelines, the session examined strategies to ensure transparency and promote robust study design and analysis. This workshop was Part II of the Rigor, Reproducibility, and Replicability in Research series hosted by Research Education (REd).
Research Data Resources Scavenger Hunt
October 2025
The Apiary’s inaugural scavenger hunt for discovering research data resources across the University of Utah! Follow the online clues and activities to learn about the tools, services, and support available for managing and sharing your research data.
Still want to play along? Visit the Apiary Scavenger Hunt page to get all the details.
ICPSR Orientation
September 25, 2025
Missed the live orientation? Still want to learn about all the political and social scientific data resources you can access through the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)?
View the recording HERE .
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