High School Statistics Competition Showcases Student Research Across Western New York

Second place winners pose for a photo with their award at the statistics competition.
Third place winner poses for a photo with their award at the statistics competition.

Published July 2, 2026

Twenty-five students from three Western New York high schools gathered at the University at Buffalo on May 28 for the annual High School Statistics Competition. The annual event is organized by the Department of Biostatistics in the School of Public Health and Health Professions and sponsored by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s BERD Core.

Students from Amherst Central High School, Grand Island High School and Williamsville North High School presented eight research posters, applying statistical methods learned in their coursework to investigate a range of real-world questions. Topics explored included sleep habits and academic performance, pharmaceutical advertising, and college admissions trends.

The competition gives high school students with the chance to develop and present original statistical research while gaining experience communicating scientific findings to faculty and peers. By analyzing data on issues relevant to their communities and everyday lives, students demonstrate the value of statistical reasoning in understanding complex questions.

Judges included Biostatistics Chair Doug Landsittel, Greg Wilding, professor and BERD Core director and Jon Lopez, clinical associate professor.

Congratulations to this year's winners:

First Place: Grand Island High School
Hours of Sleep vs. Weighted GPA: Students investigated whether there was an association between the amount of sleep local high school students receive and their weighted grade point averages.

Second Place: Williamsville North High School
Prescribed by the Pitch: This project explored the relationship between pharmaceutical advertising and medication utilization, examining how marketing may influence prescribing patterns.

Third Place: Amherst Central High School
Test Optional: Students analyzed whether there was a significant difference in acceptance rates between applicants who submitted standardized test scores and those who did not at test-optional colleges and universities.