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From the Georges’ Statistics Day to StatConnect@AI 2026 for the Capital Region, building a collaborativenetwork is at the forefront of Data Science and AI.
As artificial intelligence reshapes higher education and industry alike, a growing coalition of universities across the Washington region is working to ensure students are not navigating that transformation alone.
This year, Georgetown University hosted StatConnect@AI, a one-day conference that brought together researchers, students, and industry professionals from across the D.C. Maryland, Virginia (DMV) to explore the evolving relationship between statistics, data science, and artificial intelligence. This event was organized by Georgetown’s Data Science and Analytics (DSA) master’s program in collaboration with George Mason University, George Washington University, the University of Maryland, American University, and the Washington Statistical Association. Its funding was secured by the DSA Program Director Purna Gamagegarnered the funding through Georgetown’s Initiative on Pedagogical Uses of Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) grant program.
“We all need to work together to facilitate especially all these different opportunities for our students,” said Gamage.
For organizers, the conference represented more than a day of presentations and panels. It reflected a broader shift happening across higher education, where universities are increasingly collaborating rather than competing as AI and data science programs rapidly expand nationwide.
“The StatConnect, Capital Region, grew from the George's’ STAT DAY event, with the inaugural event in 2024 at GWU and the second at George Mason as an expansion of Georges' Collaboration. Working together in this evolving AI landscape and leveraging the Capital Region’s unique strengths is critical to supporting our students, our profession, and society,” said J Sun, the Chair of the Department of Statistics at George Mason.
A central goal of StatConnect@AI 2026 was to bridge the gap between theoretical statistical research and the more applied, solution-oriented work often associated with data science and AI and showcase the modern statistical research and its interface with AI and Data Science.
“There’s a small difference in how we approach research,” Gamage explained. “Statistics research, or mainstream statistical foundation research often include theoretical components, while data science tends to be more applied — using AI tools, large language models, and modeling techniques to solve real-world problems.”
That distinction and the need to reflect recent trends shaped the structure of the conference. Alongside academic presentations on topics such as clustering algorithms, Bayesian modeling, and statistical methods and theory, the event also featured applied AI and data science projects on issues like sports injury prevention, predictive text analysis, and AI-driven educational assessment.
The conference also included industry-focused panels featuring representatives from organizations including Google and Amazon Web Services, who discussed the growing role of AI across business and the public sector.
For students, organizers said the conference offered a rare opportunity to engage directly with researchers and peers from multiple institutions.
Ashley Stowe, Georgetown’s Outreach and Engagement Manager for the Data Science and Analytics program, said the biggest payoff from conferences like StatConnect@AI is the sense of connection they create.
“The biggest long-term payoff is the connections people are making,” Stowe said. “Students connecting with each other, with students from other universities, and faculty wanting to work together across institutions.”
The event featured poster presentations from master’s students, PhD candidates, and undergraduate researchers, allowing students to share projects and see how others across the region are approaching similar challenges.
Organizers said those interactions often spark new ideas and collaborations that continue long after the conference ends.
“I always feel like every time we have one of these conferences, the biggest payoff is that swelling of inspiration and connection,” Stowe said.
As noted earlier, the collaboration behind StatConnect@AI grew out of earlier partnerships among Georgetown, George Mason, and George Washington University through academic events and statistical research initiatives. For Gamage, the mission remains rooted in creating opportunities for students while helping connect disciplines that are increasingly intertwined.
As AI continues to influence fields ranging from education to healthcare to finance, organizers say conferences like StatConnect@AI demonstrate how universities can work together to prepare students for a future where collaboration across institutions — and across disciplines — may be more important than ever.