Analytics Without Borders
Please join us in-person for the 9th Analytics Without Borders conference on April 3rd (Friday), 2026 at Nichols College, in partnership with Bentley University, Bryant University and Tufts University. This annual conference series seeks to foster collaboration among diverse analytics communities and serve as a platform for individuals from industry, academia, and government to present and discuss their work. Topics include applied statistics, optimization, data science, and more. We welcome anyone who works with data to share their insights. This year’s conference features keynote and major talks, two career panels, a tutorial session, and a student research competition (see competition details below). We also invite abstracts for talks and poster presentations. The abstract submission and registration are open now.
For faculty and industry presentations, please click HERE to submit your oral presentation abstract.
For student poster session, please click HERE to submit your abstract.
Click HERE to register for the conference.
Lunch is included with registration. Parking is available at no additional cost with registration.
Partners
The conference serves as a platform for individuals involved in various aspects of analytics to present and discuss their work, whether they come from corporate institutions, academia, or government organizations. This event aims to foster collaboration and bridge-building among diverse analytics communities.
The conference covers a wide range of topics in analytics, including applied statistics, optimization, data science, and more. We welcome anyone who works with data to share their insights. The conference sessions will feature a blend of corporate, academic, and government researchers and practitioners. Please join to share your project, experience, and opinion, by submitting your abstract.
We welcome sponsorship opportunities. Please contact Jason Price (Co-Chair) (Jason.Price@nichols.edu ) or Funda Sarican (Co-Chair) (Funda.Sarican@nichols.edu ) directly to discuss levels and benefits. directly. Detailed sponsorship levels and their awards can be notified later.
Student Research Competition
We strongly encourage both undergraduate and graduate students to submit their research or side projects. Moreover, we are excited to announce a student research competition during the conference, open to participating graduate and undergraduate students. The top three student projects in each level will receive the prestigious Excellent Student Research Award for AWB 2026 (Amazon Gift Cards).
Student competition teams ( each team has no more than THREE students), please submit your abstract, team, and major contact person in the abstract submission form and indicate student competition presentation in the presentation preference. All students' competition presentations will be held in parallel tracks and judged by the competition committee. The winners will be announced before the closing of the conference.
For more details, please contact the chair of the student competition committee below.
Conference Organizing Committee
Brendan Williams (Nichols College, Brendan.Williams@nichols.edu)
Heather Richards (Nichols College, Heather.Richards@nichols.edu)
Student Competition Committee
TBA
Keynote Speakers
Title: TBD
Speaker's Bio:
Seasoned AI solutions executive with over 30 years of experience driving innovation at the intersection of AI, data, and business strategy; Leads organizations in harnessing Deep Learning, Generative AI, Information Retrieval, Forecasting, Computer Vision, and NLP to deliver measurable impact across industries.
TBD
Major Talk
A Discussion Panel for AI in Practice
Guangying Hua is a leader in AI, data science, and advanced analytics, currently serving as a Lead Director at CVS Health. Her work focuses on translating AI and enterprise data into scalable, real-world solutions that drive pharmacy profitability and business impact.
Previously, Guangying was part of Boston Consulting Group, where she led analytics-driven transformation initiatives across industries. She specialized in pricing, promotion, and personalization, while also contributing to early efforts in Responsible AI. She was a founding member of BCG Gamma (now BCG X), helping shape how advanced analytics is applied in complex business environments.
With a PhD from Bentley University and a background spanning computer science and management science from Tianjin University, Guangying brings a unique perspective at the intersection of technology, business, and organizational change. She is passionate about bridging the gap between AI innovation and practical adoption at scale.
Cesar Hernandez leads data and AI engineering at Lennar Technology Group, overseeing teams across Data Engineering, Analytics Engineering, Data Science, and Technical Program Management. He is responsible for architecting and scaling enterprise AI systems that translate raw operational data into actionable intelligence for one of the largest homebuilders in the United States.
At the center of his work is an internal AI-powered intelligence platform that he has built and scaled to serve hundreds of business users across the organization — moving the company from systems of record to systems of context, where data drives real-time decisions at every operational level.
Cesar also leads a large-scale data platform modernization initiative that establishes the foundation powering Lennar’s next generation of predictive and analytical capabilities. His teams develop sales prediction models and market intelligence tools that directly inform business strategy across the enterprise.
With a track record of bridging executive vision and ground-level execution, Cesar brings a practitioner’s perspective to AI development — focused on what it actually takes to build, scale, and sustain AI products inside large, complex organizations.
Abstract
In an era where data is abundant and AI can generate insights in seconds, why do so many decisions remain unchanged?
This talk explores a persistent gap in analytics: the disconnect between insight and business impact. While organizations have invested heavily in data, models, and dashboards, these outputs often fail to influence decisions—or sustain impact over time. Through a candid real-world story of building and scaling an analytics solution that was ultimately sunset despite its success, this session reveals why even “good” analytics can fall short.
As AI reshapes the landscape, the challenge becomes more urgent—not less. Generating insights is no longer the bottleneck; enabling better decisions is. This shift demands a new way of thinking about analytics—not as a pipeline that ends with a dashboard, but as a decision system that integrates context, guides action, and continuously learns from outcomes.
Attendees will gain a practical framework for rethinking analytics in the AI era, including common failure modes, the role of organizational context, and how to design systems that move beyond insight to drive meaningful, lasting change.
Co-Sponsors
Morning Discussion Panel I: The Analytics Careers
Meredith Piotti CPA, CIA, Data Excellence Advocate, Wolf and Co.
Bryan T. Cole , Sr. Analyst, Baseball Sciences at Chicago Cubs
Dustin Cabral, Sr. Practice Director at Cleartelligence
Damien Cabral, Co-Founder and President of PrepU
Damien Cabral is the Co-Founder and President of PrepU, a career platform focused on helping college students and early-career professionals land internships and jobs through strategic positioning, proactive outreach, and interview preparation. Through PrepU, he combines hands-on coaching with technology to improve outcomes in an increasingly competitive, data-driven job market. In parallel, Damien serves as a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, where he helps organizations build scalable marketing systems that drive demand and align marketing with revenue. He previously co-founded TribalVision, a digital agency that grew to serve hundreds of clients before a successful exit. Based in Rhode Island, Damien is actively involved in the academic community as a mentor, speaker, and judge, with a focus on expanding access to career opportunities.
Morning Panel Discussion II: AI on industry
Seyla Azoz, Ph.D., Yale Ventures Entrepreneur in Residence
Matthew Heally, Associate Director of Emerging Technologies, MassMEP
Tutorial Session
Speaker: Alper Memioglu, Founder / Analytics Consultant, New Angle Analytics, alper@newangleanalytics.com
Bio:
Alper is a senior analytics and business intelligence professional with over 15 years of experience spanning SaaS, e-commerce, edtech, and management consulting. He holds an MBA from Boston University and a Tableau Desktop Specialist certification, and has built data strategies and executive dashboards at organizations including FMIC, Berklee Online, and Penn Foster. As the founder of New Angle Analytics LLC, he provides consulting services and creates educational content focused on making analytics tools accessible to aspiring data professionals. For this workshop, Alper brings his analytical expertise together with a personal passion for music, using a custom-built Queen concert history dataset to demonstrate Tableau's core concepts in an engaging, hands-on format.
Additional Conference Details
Students, faculty, and practitioners are invited to submit an abstract for either a 15-minute talk or a poster presentation. Abstract submission is now open with a deadline of March 20, 2026.
Please click here to submit abstracts for faculty and industry oral presentations.
Please click here to submit abstracts for student poster presentations.
Also register for the conference. Go to register the conference.
Registration for the Analytics Without Borders conference is open now.
Go to register the conference.
The conference program with schedule will be available in later Mar 2026.
Undergraduate and graduate students are strongly encouraged to submit an abstract for a poster presentation. Student posters will be entered in the student research competition and judged during parallel tracks by the competition committee. The prestigious Excellent Student Research Award for AWB 2025 will be awarded to the top three projects in each of undergraduate and graduate research categories. Winners will be announced at the conference close.
To enter the student research competition, please submit an abstract here before the extended deadline March 27, 2026, and also register for the conference here. Each team may have no more than three students.
For questions, please contact Jason Price ( Jason.Price@nichols.edu) or Funda Sarican (Co-Chair) ( Funda.Sarican@nichols.edu) directly ( Student Research Competition Chair).
The 1st Analytics Without Borders Conference program (hosted by Bentley University)
The 3rd Analytics Without Borders Conference program(hosted by Bentley University)
The 5th Analytics Without Borders conference program and schedule (hosted by Tufts University)
The 6th Analytics Without Borders conference program and schedule (hosted by Bentley University)
The 7th Analytics Without Borders conference program and schedule (hosted by Bryant University)
The 8th Analytics Without Borders conference program and schedule (hosted by Bentley University)