A group of first graders from the Annie Fisher Magnet School in Hartford sat cross-legged on the floor at The Stowe Center for Literary Activism in Hartford on a recent Friday morning, eager to explain what the word “freedom’’ means to them.

The Stowe Center is the final home of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the acclaimed author of the anti-slavery novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,’’ published in 1852, which helped change Americans’ attitudes toward abolitionism.

The Stowe Center’s mission is to encourage social justice and literacy activism by exploring Harriet’s legacy and the ideas of others who advocate for hope and freedom. They seek a world in which engagement leads to empathy, empowerment, and change for good.

“One could definitely argue that that perspective is needed now more than ever,’’ says Executive Director Karen Fisk, who, with her team, welcome some 5,000 visitors to the Center every year.

UConn Business Students Analyze, Organize Center’s Data

The Stowe Center, located on Forest Street and adjacent to the Mark Twain House, is one of the prized gems of Hartford, and has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Humanities as critical to American history and culture.

Although the leadership at the Stowe Center had reams of data about its visitors, it wasn’t in a format that could easily be organized, analyzed, and presented. They wanted to track where their visitors were coming from, what drew them to the Center, and the dates and times when visitation peaked. That information could guide strategy, staffing, and future growth.

Fisk reached out to the School of Business for help and was connected to staff at the Digital Frontiers Initiative (DFI), which sources, vets, and assigns STEM-based projects to students. Five undergraduate students took on the Stowe Center task as part of their senior Analytics and Information Management (AIM) Capstone Project last semester.

Aditya Mamidi ’25 (BUS) says he enjoyed the challenge and responsibility that he and his team experienced.

“The big thing I enjoyed was the creative freedom we had, without the strict guidelines you have with a traditional college project,’’ he says. “We put our heads together to come up with something that we hope The Stowe Center can use for a long time.’’

In addition to Mamidi, the project team included, from the School of Business: Gregory Bliss ‘25, Liam Wagner ‘25, Alexander Brynczka ’24 and Daniel Rodriguez ’24. Mamidi, Bliss, and Wagner are seniors, and Brynczka and Rodriguez graduated in December.

‘It Demonstrates What I Can Do and What I’ve Learned’

One thing that was important was presenting the data, which spanned from 2017 to today, in a way that was easy to understand for those without an analytics background.

“We took the time to create in-depth training videos so anyone watching would understand with no trouble,’’ says Mamidi, who plans to intern at Deloitte in Hartford after graduation and is considering an advanced degree in business analytics. “This is definitely going on my LinkedIn, and my resume, because it demonstrates what I can do and what I’ve learned.’’

Bliss also described the Capstone project as a great experience and says it prepared him for his career, particularly having to pivot in designing a project.

The team originally recommended a program that was too expensive for the Stowe Center, and they realized they needed a more affordable plan. They were able to find a substitute plan that worked very well and cost just a fraction of the original price. It is a strategy Bliss knows he will use in the future.

“If one idea doesn’t work out you need to have a backup plan,’’ Bliss says. “It’s important to be prepared and willing to make adjustments when needed. I enjoyed working with ‘real’ data and knowing that it can benefit the Stowe Center.’’

Bliss says through this project, as well as his work at National Life Group, he’s confirmed how much he enjoys data project work and has a clearer idea of his immediate career path.

‘I Can’t Say Enough…About these Young People’

Fisk says the students exceeded her expectations with their abilities, professionalism, and project management.

“What they did was so thorough. They were patient, explained everything well, and were extremely professional. They were quite impressive,’’ she says. “I felt so well taken care of through the whole project.’’

If it weren’t for the students’ pro-bono work, Fisk says she would have had to start a fundraising initiative to pay to hire a data expert, and that would have greatly extended the project.

For OPIM professor Jon Moore, who oversaw the project alongside OPIM professor Stephen Fitzgerald, the Capstone project was a valuable experience not only for the students, but also for the Stowe Center and the broader community.

“The Stowe Center for Literacy Activism project was an amazing experience for the students, as they got to dive into the Center’s data to create dashboards, insights, and predictive models around attendance and engagement,’’ says Moore, who is also the executive director of DFI. “Their work helped the Stowe Center better understand trends and connect with visitors in smarter, more impactful ways.’’

“The OPIM department and the School of Business recognize the immense value of collaborating with local organizations like the Stowe Center, giving students the chance to tackle real-world challenges while making a meaningful difference in the community,’’ Moore says. “By leveraging Digital Frontiers as a bridge between academia and industry, the project exemplifies how UConn students gain hands-on experience while delivering meaningful solutions to real-world challenges.’’