Impact Portfolio
Spotlight Success Stories
Real partnerships, measurable results. See how we've helped industry leaders transform their operations through data-driven solutions backed by academic research.
Meta
Social Media / Technology
Challenge
Existing migration datasets suffer from a lack of granularity and timeliness, hindering accurate analysis of global migration patterns, which have surged over the past 50 years.
Solution
Analyzed over 32,000 migration plots using anonymized Facebook location data to ensure accuracy. Developed a novel method combining econometrics, ML, and DL for outlier detection. Created a custom Python dashboard for visualization and pattern recognition.
Results
- Created one of the clearest pictures of global migration to date, featured in The New York Times and PNAS
- Provided high-frequency migration data for 179 countries, a leap forward from limited and stale data
- Uncovered key insights that shaped both editorial coverage and research findings
Timeline
Clock Aug–Dec 2023
Team Size
Team group 4 Students + 1 Faculty Mentor
We had an incredibly positive experience working with the ASC, and they exceeded all of our expectations. The ASC team delivered on all areas beyond what we were expecting and ahead of schedule
University of Utah Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR)
Medical Research / Higher Education
Challenge
Assessing the feasibility of a medical cannabis production facility was difficult due to limited data on production costs and market demand. A tightly regulated market also creates hurdles for researchers seeking consistent, high-quality cannabis for clinical trials.
Solution
The ASC team evaluated indoor and greenhouse cultivation models and developed a web-based dashboard. The dashboard visualizes market analysis, cultivation and production costs, feasibility, and forecasts to guide leadership.
Results
- Enabled data-driven decisions for USU and CMCR leadership
- Created a forecasting tool for both indoor and greenhouse cultivation models
- Provided a clear feasibility and profitability analysis for producing research-grade cannabis
Timeline
Clock Jan–May 2023
Team Size
Team group 4 Students + 1 Faculty Mentor
This partnership between the U of U and USU will allow us to bridge the knowledge gaps from bench to bedside. This dashboard will allow leadership from both USU and CMCR to make data-driven decisions about the future of medical cannabis production at USU
Invista (A Koch Company)
Chemical Manufacturing
Challenge
Manually classifying a high volume of important business documents was impractical and slow. Previous automated attempts were inadequate, leaving many documents unclassified and hindering business plan execution.
Solution
Developed a machine learning algorithm specifically for text mining and document classification, using methods like logistic regression and random forest to process and categorize the company's large document corpus.
Results
- Created a model capable of classifying at least 80% of remaining unclassified documents
- Enabled the company to advance business plans with greater efficiency
- Automated a previously impractical manual process
Timeline
Clock Jan–May 2023
Team Size
Team group 2 Students + 1 Faculty Mentor
This tool will save Invista millions by optimizing pricing at scale
LiaLaunch Ventures
Venture Capital / Startup Incubation
Challenge
Without systematic assessment protocols, it was challenging to evaluate early-stage companies and implement effective investment strategies for promising female-founded ventures, who already face significant barriers to accessing capital.
Solution
Created an evaluation data pipeline where web forms from identified startups feed data into Google Sheets and BitQuery. The data is then analyzed and visualized in dashboards to support investment decisions.
Results
- Helps female founders connect with investment opportunities, mentorship, and networks
- Created an automated data pipeline from web forms to analysis dashboards
- Enabled a systematic, data-driven evaluation process for early-stage companies
Timeline
Clock Jan–May 2023
Team Size
Team group 3 Students + 2 Faculty Mentor
This project creates a data pipeline that helps female founders connect with investment opportunities, mentorship, and networks through LiaLaunch's platform
The Salt Lake Tribune
Media / Journalism
Challenge
Rising housing costs, including both mortgages and rent, are making many Utah counties unaffordable, especially for recent college graduates. There was a need to inform residents and lawmakers about these financial challenges.
Solution
To shed light on housing costs, the ASC team was tasked with conducting data-driven reporting, in-depth interviews, and creating interactive visualizations to explore the factors driving up rent and home prices across the state.
Results
- Informed residents and lawmakers about the housing challenges faced by recent graduates
- Explored the key factors driving rent and home prices through data-driven reporting
- Created interactive visualizations to communicate complex housing cost data
Timeline
Clock Jan-May 2023
Team Size
Team group 2 Students + 2 Faculty Mentor
The ASC has helped simplify the data analysis process and provide high-quality analytics with much more efficiency than I could, therefore freeing up my time and resources. Students also recently produced an automatically updated database of housing prices that we've already used several times when writing about the state's housing market. And, as an added bonus, they've been incredibly professional to work with on projects
ASC in the News
Our impactful work has gained national attention, from the New York Times to local Utah media, showcasing the real-world value of academic industry partnerships.
Major Media
To Understand Global Migration, You Have to See It First
A feature on the global migration study that the Analytics Solutions Center provided significant data processing and analysis for, giving the project national-level exposure.
The New York Times 2025
Industry Recognition
Meta Senior Research Scientist and USU Alum Michael Bailey Honored with 2024 Professional Achievement Award
His dedication to guiding and inspiring future data analysts is evident through his work with USU's Analytics Solutions Center (ASC), where he has been involved in diverse and significant projects that blend cutting-edge data analytics with tangible social insights.
Hoodline 2024
Economic Impact
Burying downtown SLC train tracks could bring multibillion-dollar lift to Utah’s economy
A summary of the economic analysis performed by the Analytics Solutions Center, highlighting the massive projected economic benefits and return on investment for the Rio Grande Plan.
The Salt Lake Tribune 2025
University News
The Chessboard of Humanity
A feature on the groundbreaking global migration study in partnership with Meta, detailing how ASC students gained invaluable experience by processing and analyzing one of the largest social science datasets ever, leading to significant real-world insights.
Huntsman Alumni Magazine 2024
Economic Impact
US had the highest net migration in 2022 of 181 countries studied, USU-aided study shows
Participation gave the students from USU's Jon M. Huntsman School of Business Analytics Solutions Center 'real-world experience' in helping solve complicated problems... 'They cleaned and validated vast amounts of raw data, developed machine learning models to detect anomalies in migration flows... and helped build a dynamic visualization dashboard.
KSL.com 2025
Economic Impact
Analysis shows big economic impact for Rio Grande Plan
The economic benefit analysis completed by the Analytics Solutions Center at Utah State University indicates that the redevelopment project would generate more than 51,800 new jobs in the county over the course of demolition, construction, redevelopment and the first year of operations.
Davis Journal 2025
University News
Students at Huntsman School of Business Analytics Solutions Center Help Map Global Migration Patterns
"This project really demonstrates why the Analytics Solutions Center is so crucial to our students and to the future of data science" said Chris Corcoran
USU Today 2024
Industry Partnership
Advocacy in the Beehive State
To address this challenge, Via Rio Grande has partnered with Utah State University (USU) to conduct an economic impact study on the Rio Grande Plan, which is currently in progress.
Rail Passengers Association 2024
Student Achievement
Huntsman School Students Sweep Top Honors at Microsoft's Hack4Good 3.0
Our students jumped in with both feet — networking confidently, collaborating closely with professionals from across the country and representing Utah State University with excellence,” said Polly Conrad, senior lecturer in Data Analytics and Information Systems and director of student experience at the Analytics Solutions Center.
USU Today 2024
Press Conference
Economic Impact Analysis Press Conference
Video of the press conference releasing the economic impact analysis completed by the USU Huntsman School of Business, which shows that the monetary benefits vastly outweigh the costs of building the Rio Grande Plan.
YouTube (Via Rio Grande) 2025
Local News
USU students part of Facebook global migration study
Local radio coverage discussing the Analytics Solutions Center's student involvement in the high-profile international research project on global migration.
KVNU For the People 2024
What They're Saying
This project really demonstrates why the Analytics Solutions Center is so crucial to our students and to the future of data science.
They cleaned and validated vast amounts of raw data, developed machine learning models to detect anomalies in migration flows... and helped build a dynamic visualization dashboard
Our students jumped in with both feet... representing Utah State University with excellence
100+
Students Supported
30+
Companies Benefited