Data Crusaders analyzed data from 17 of the world’s most populous countries to explore how population growth affects energy use.
“The choice of research topic was excellent,” said Isir Koyuncu, assistant professor of management science and statistics and the team’s supervisor. “It’s very relevant, and the social and sustainability considerations are really important. More research is needed in this area.”
The students’ findings were surprising: They expected that as a country’s population grows, its energy consumption would also increase, and this was true in about 75 percent of countries.
But in the remaining countries, energy use appeared to remain steady or decline, which the team hypothesized was due to increased efforts to conserve energy and the smaller, more efficient versions of modern electronic devices.
Data Crusaders tracked the penetration rate of renewable energy sources over time, and their data found that reliance on renewable energy more than doubled between 1995 and 2021.
Chong recalled that Koyuncu encouraged the team to make the classroom project a Curiosity Cup contender.
“From the beginning, she encouraged us to apply for the Curiosity Cup and supported us all the way,” Chung said. “Then, as we applied, we realized we had a good chance of winning the Curiosity Cup, so we polished our work and decided to submit it, and we ended up becoming a finalist.”
For Data Crusaders, this result was completely unexpected.
“I was overjoyed when I was selected!” said Karnik.
As the contest winner, Data Crusaders members can choose from a variety of prizes, ranging from an Apple iPad to a Nintendo Switch. All winners and runners-up will also receive 12 months’ access to the SAS software of their choice.
But for the Data Crusaders, the experience alone was worth the effort they put into the project.
“We’re starting to transition into mature data analysts,” Chong says. “We’re becoming more confident in our abilities.”
