We are thrilled to announce that our Montclair State University team “Next-Gen Tech Thinkers” has won the 1st prize in the nationwide RAISE-2025 Data Science competition hosted by Rutgers University, NJ. This marks an outstanding achievement as MSU students have claimed the top honor for two consecutive years!

The winning team consists of:

  • Students: Blessing Austin-Gabriel, Ernest Chianumba, Shibbir Ahmed Arif, Cristian Noriega, and Keerthana Gajari
  • Faculty Mentors: Dr. Aparna Varde and Dr. Hao Liu
  • Team Name: Next-Gen Tech Thinkers

Competition Details:

  • Event: RAISE-2025 Student Data Science/Informatics Competition
  • Venue: Rutgers University, NJ, Bloustein School
  • Master of Public Informatics
  • Topic: “Our Future with AI: Utopian or Dystopian?”
  • Participants: Accredited US Institutions
  • Duration: February 15 to April 11, 2025
  • Track: Graduate Students
  • Award: $1,000 per team member (total $5,000)

Our students demonstrated exceptional dedication and innovative thinking throughout this prestigious competition. As mentors, we are immensely proud of their hard work and intellectual contributions.

Next-Gen Tech Thinkers won the 1st Prize in the Graduate Track at the nationwide RAISE-2025 competition

You can watch the presentation on Youtube.

Happy to share this announcement with all of you!