Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering students Sehoon Park and Adarsh Vulli were part of the winning team at the recent Grant Thornton Institute for Data Exploration for Risk Assessment and Management (GT-IDEA) Spring 2025 Optimizing Volunteer Management on Online Platforms with Data Analytics and AI Case Competition.
Park, a Computer Science major and the co-president of the Luddy Consulting Association, and Vulli, a Data Science graduate student as well as the president of the Google Developer Student Club and a Shoemaker Innovation Center technical specialist, joined two Kelley School of Business students to beat out 21 other teams and win a $5,000 scholarship.
“This experience has sharpened my critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” Park said. “I believe it will significantly help me in landing better job opportunities.”
During the two-day competition, teams assumed the role of an analyst working with a humanitarian organization -- Engage → Detect → Retain -- that uses an online platform to engage volunteers in various projects. They had to use AI and data analytics to develop a comprehensive, data driven strategy to maximize volunteer management and improve project completion rates and volunteer retention.
Judges were IU and Grant Thornton, an international accounting firm based in Chicago.
The Luddy and Kelley team thrived with a strong presentation for their three-step, AI-powered framework.
“We refined our pitch on the spot, ensured we stayed within the time limit and meticulously addressed all the judges’ questions with precision,” Vulli said.
Park said their team “brainstormed” various approaches, such as identifying the right data to develop AI models for project recommendations and detecting when a user is at risk of disengagement.
“Finally, we implemented a generative AI-powered personalized email outreach to retain these users,” he said.
Beyond developing strong strategies, teams had to effectively present them. Travis Brown, Senior Executive Assistant Dean for the Luddy School and GT-IDEA co-director, was contacted by Park and Vulli’s team for guidance.
“When I saw how they had put the user of their platform at the center of their proposal,” Brown said, “I was confident that they were going to be competitive. The team conveyed the importance of first understanding the needs of the target audience before proposing the introduction of new technologies.”
Park said the biggest challenge “was explaining and structuring the presentation to make it consumable and understandable for the judges. Breaking down the technical aspects while emphasizing how our solution makes volunteers feel needed, acknowledged, and valued was crucial to making our approach compelling.”
For Park, practice does make perfect. This was his third Case Competition and second victory.
“What I love about this competition is the opportunity to collaborate with teammates from different majors and class standings,” he said. “I’ve learned so much from their unique perspectives and contributions.”
Vulli said this was his second case competition. He said the final presentation required focus and effort.
The second-place team received a $3,000 scholarship. Third was worth $2,000. The three other finalists each received $1,000.
The Grant Thornton Institute for Data Exploration for Risk Assessment and Management seeks to prepare students to become the next generation of outstanding industry leaders. The goal is to integrate cutting-edge technology with business and policy to boost market innovation. Bringing in students from the Luddy School, the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Kelley School of Business, it offers experience on real industry issues, and case studies and competitions, plus provides valuable interactions with Grant Thornton mentors.