image: Nagur Shaik, a Ph.D. student and Graduate Research Assistant at the TReNDS Center at Georgia State University, received the top D3CODE 2025 award.
Credit: Courtesy: Georgia State University
ATLANTA — A Georgia State University doctoral student has been named the Global Champion of D3CODE 2025, an international challenge recognizing groundbreaking student-led solutions at the intersection of AI, quantum computing and intelligent data ecosystems.
Nagur Shareef Shaik, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Computer Science and a research assistant at the Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS) Center, took the top spot with his creation, PRISM, a next-generation AI-powered data intelligence platform.
Competing against more than 25,000 students worldwide, Shaik's Predictive and Reasoning Intelligence for Scalable Modeling (PRISM) was selected as the top innovation for its ability to transform enterprise data workflows through automation, transparency and ethical AI integration.
“PRISM brings the power of AI from research labs into real enterprise workflows,” Shaik said. “It bridges the last mile between innovation and execution — automating data intelligence, driving faster decisions and helping organizations reach the market with unprecedented speed and precision.”
What makes it unique? PRISM makes it possible to ask questions about your data and get smart, secure answers without writing a single line of code, said Assistant Professor of Computer Science Dong Hye Ye.
“This is so exciting because it’s like having a data scientist, analyst and AI assistant all in one platform,” Ye said. “PRISM empowers users to get critical insights from their data securely and instantly, without needing to be a programming expert.”
PRISM speeds up data-to-insight pipelines by automatically collecting, cleaning and organizing data — a process commonly known as ETL — and with no-code predictive modeling, intelligent document understanding and detailed data governance. This allows the platform to reduce the time to insight from months to minutes.
The win underscores Georgia State’s growing reputation as a hub for cutting-edge research and student innovation, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence and data science.
“This award is a direct reflection of Nagur’s exceptional talent and innovative spirit,” Ye said. “He embodies the type of researcher we aim to cultivate at the TReNDS Center — curious, driven and focused on creating real-world impact. Our role as mentors is to provide the foundation and freedom for brilliant students like him to explore bold ideas, and his success is a proud moment for all of us at Georgia State.”
The TReNDS Center, a leader in translational neuroimaging and data science, played a key role in supporting the project, reinforcing its standing as a national leader in interdisciplinary research.
“Shareef’s initiative, creativity and innovative spirit embody the kind of enthusiasm we strive to foster at the TReNDS Center,” said Vince Calhoun, founding director of the TReNDS Center and a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics. “His achievement is an inspiration to our entire community and reflects our commitment to supporting students who push boundaries and make a global impact.”
As part of the award, Shaik will receive a $15,000 prize and present PRISM at the prestigious D3 Conference in India, joining technology leaders and innovators to showcase their innovations.
Hosted by UST Global, the challenge brought together students from five regions — Malaysia, India, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States — to compete under the theme “Shaping New Frontiers — Data, Intelligence and Quantum.”
To learn more about the TReNDS Center, visit https://trendscenter.org/.
For more information about Georgia State Research, visit research.gsu.edu.