Michael Rappa – Page 18 – Master of Science in Analytics

Dobson Wins M2008 Award

Posted on September 23, 2008September 16, 2016 by Michael Rappa

The Institute is pleased to announce that David Dobson (MSA Class of 2008) has been selected as one of the winners of the student poster contest of the M2008 Data Mining Conference for his paper entitled “Segmenting Textual Data: Analyzing Questions on Auto Insurance Claims.” David will attend the conference in Las Vegas later this month to accept the prize. Dobson is currently a member of the faculty at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Vancouver. Congratulations, David, on the well-deserved recognition of his work!

Institute Welcomes Sudipta Dasmohapatra

Posted on September 15, 2008September 16, 2016 by Michael Rappa

Dr. Sudipta Dasmohapatra is our latest addition to the Institute’s faculty to teach during the 2008-09 academic year. Dr. “D.” joined the NC State in 2007 as an assistant professor in Wood and Paper Science. She received her Ph.D. in 2004 in Forest Products Marketing from The Pennsylvania State University. After graduating from Penn State, she worked as a Senior Quantitative Analyst at Yankelovich, Inc. for 3 years. Her interests are in the area of strategic marketing, distribution and value addition strategies and marketing research methods. She teaches a module in Market Science and Customer Analytics.

Fall Classes Begin

Posted on September 2, 2008September 16, 2016 by Michael Rappa

Fall semester classes for MSA students begin today with Dr. David Dickey teaching Time Series and Forecasting, and lectures by Dr. Hugh Devine in Geospatial Data Analytics. Students also have coursework in Six Sigma organized by Marissa Langford. Later in the semester, students will complete course modules in Data Cleaning with Dr. Rada Chirkova; Survival Analysis with Dr. Simon Hsiang; Market Science and Customer Analytics with Dr. Sudipta Dasmohapatra; and Logistic Regression Models with Dr. Fikret Isik. The fall semester also includes modules on data mining with Dr. Hsiang.

Jernigan Appointed IT Coordinator

Posted on September 1, 2008September 16, 2016 by Michael Rappa

John Jernigan is the Institute’s newly appointed Information Technology Coordinator. John joined the Institute at its inception in 2006 as a graduate assistant and had worked previously for Dr. Rappa in the Open Courseware Laboratory. John earned his B.S. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from NC State in 2006, and is currently completing his M.S. degree in the same field. In his new role, John provides support for all aspects of student and staff IT requirements.

Students Mark Successful End to Summer

Posted on August 15, 2008September 16, 2016 by Michael Rappa

The MSA Class of 2009 marked the successful completion of summer classes today with a luncheon celebration at nearby Lake Wheeler. Students were joined by faculty and staff for a catered lunch at the lakeside facility. Lunch was preceded by a preview of the fall semester by Dr. Rappa. Congratulations to all of the students who dedicated themselves to six weeks of intensive classes since early July. Special thanks go to the cadre of 20 lecturers who participated in this year’s summer “boot camp” program, and to our academic coordinator, Laura Ladrie, for pulling it together.

Analytics in Health and Life Sciences

Posted on August 12, 2008September 16, 2016 by Michael Rappa

The Institute hosted several area experts today as part of a special daylong panel on analytics in health and life sciences. The panel was organized by Dr. Charles Coleman, Senior Managing Director at SAS and a member of the Institute’s Executive Board, and included guests: Dr. Heyward Hull, Clinical Professor of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics at the University of North Carolina School of Pharmacy; David Hadden, Continue reading “Analytics in Health and Life Sciences” →

Summer Break

Posted on August 9, 2008April 17, 2019 by Michael Rappa

In what is fast-becoming an MSA tradition during summer boot camp, students joined family and friends at the Durham Bull baseball game this evening. The Durham Bulls are the beloved local minor league ball club made all the more famous by the Hollywood blockbuster movie, Bull Durham. Students enjoyed the game and festivities surrounding the ballpark under a beautiful evening sky. One highlight of the game came in a bottom of the 9th inning, with a pop-fly foul ball caught spectacularly by the son of MSA classmate, Sean Cai. WOW! Continue reading “Summer Break” →

Kulkarni Speaks to MSA Students

Posted on July 25, 2008September 16, 2016 by Michael Rappa

Dr. Radhika Kulkarni, Vice President of Advanced Analytics R&D at SAS Institute, spoke today with MSA students about how Operations Research (OR) methods are applied to a wide range of interesting problems in industry. Dr. Kulkarni demonstrated the practical application of OR with diverse examples—from agriculture to banking—and discussed how OR fits in the spectrum of analytical methods. Dr. Kulkarni was joined by her colleague, Dr. Manoj Chari, in her presentation.

Studies Commence for MSA Class of 2009

Posted on July 11, 2008April 17, 2019 by Michael Rappa

Christine Valbuena and Anurag Sharma The Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) Class of 2009 arrived on campus on July 7 and immediately commenced 6 weeks of intensive full-time study. The summer “boot camp” is an innovative component of the MSA curriculum delivered with the help of two-dozen faculty and invited guest lecturers. Students hone their skills in using complex software tools, and complete a rigorous review of the statistical foundations for analytics. Members of the Class of 2009 hail from ten countries and have a median age of 27 years; half are residents of North Carolina. The geographic Continue reading “Studies Commence for MSA Class of 2009” →

Noted Author Speaks on Data Mining

Posted on July 8, 2008September 16, 2016 by Michael Rappa

Gordon Linhoff, author of several widely read textbooks on data analysis, including Data Mining Techniques and Mastering Data Mining spoke today to the MSA Class of 2009 at its openning session. Linoff is co-founder of Data Miners, Inc., a consultancy with clients in banking, media, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals. Linhoff highlighted the numerous kinds of business problems in marketing and customer relationship management addressed today with data mining tools. Also speaking at the opening session was Dr. Herbert Kirk, a respected NC State alumnus, who serves as a member of the Institute’s Executive Board, and long-time veteran of SAS Institute. Dr. Kirk, who is SAS Education Vice President, provided students with an overview of Advanced Analytics.

MSA Enrollment Jumps by 50%

Posted on July 7, 2008July 16, 2011 by Michael Rappa

The enrollment of thirty-five students this month represents a growth of fifty percent over last year’s class. The growth in enrollment lifts the MSA program into the top-five largest M.S. degree programs at NC State—in terms of the number of degrees conferred annually—in only its second year of operation. The maximum capacity for the program is forty students. The Institute expects to reach full enrollment capacity in 2009, and will begin to evaluate the potential for expansion beyond 40 students in 2010. The MSA program maintains a mailing list for prospective applicants, which provides a good indication of the potential volume of future applications.

Perfect Job Placement Record

Posted on July 1, 2008September 16, 2016 by Michael Rappa

The Institute is pleased to report that each member of the MSA Class of 2008 has received one or more offers of employment within 90-days of May graduation. On average, students had six job interviews and two offers of employment; the average salary offer of $83,567 is among the best results for M.S. degree programs at NC State University and comparable to the average starting salary for MBA graduates nationwide. Although the employment situation for new graduates, in general, is expected to be soft through 2008, the picture for MSA graduates remains promising. Continue reading “Perfect Job Placement Record” →

Mostek Joins Staff

Posted on June 1, 2008September 23, 2016 by Michael Rappa

The Institute is pleased to announce that Anthony Mostek has been appointed Outreach Coordinator with primary responsibility for overseeing the Analytics Practicum. Mostek served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force from 1999 to 2007, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington. From 2003 to 2007, he served the Air Force as an assistant professor in the ROTC program at Duke University, instructing students in Continue reading “Mostek Joins Staff” →

Students Celebrate Graduation

Posted on May 10, 2008April 17, 2019 by Michael Rappa

Graduation celebration Congratulations to the inaugural Class of 2008 on the successful completion of the degree requirements for the Master of Science in Analytics! The spring commencement exercises of North Carolina State University were held today under a beautiful blue sky. MSA students celebrated the occasion at a luncheon reception held for family and friends in the courtyard of the Venture complex on Centennial Campus. Students were commended for their hard work and dedication to their studies, and for the spirit of camaraderie with their fellow students in meeting the challenges they faced over the past ten months. Our best wishes go out to all of them!

Green Honored at Awards Reception

Posted on March 10, 2008September 16, 2016 by Michael Rappa

The annual “Awards for Excellence” reception for the Office of the Provost was held today. Included in the Provost’s list of eight nominees to be honored was Kathy Green, Associate Director for Administration of the Institute. Kathy was cited by the Provost for her dedicated service to the university, for the instrumental role she played in marshalling the MSA proposal through the approval process in record time, and her indefatigable spirit in getting the Institute off the ground the past two years.