Institute Welcomes New Staff Members

To accommodate the recent doubling of enrollment to 80 students, the Institute is pleased to announce the addition of six new members to its staff. “Attracting talented professionals is key to building a high-performing organization, and I am delighted to welcome this exceptional group of individuals to our team,” said the Institute’s director, Dr. Michael Rappa, at a ceremony today marking the end of fall semester. “As the Institute enters its next phase, the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) has quickly ascended to become one of NC State’s largest and finest graduate degree programs. The success of our students is, in large measure, attributable to the dedication and professionalism of our staff. I am especially grateful to the team that brought us to this point—Kathy Green, Laura Ladrie, John Jernigan, June Bowles, Andrea Villanes, Anthony Franklin, and Dr. Aric LaBarr—for all of their hard work over the past year going through this critical period of growth.” The new staff are:

Dr. Kostas Kyriakoulis — Dr. Kyriakoulis joins the Institute full-time as Teaching Associate Professor. Previously, Dr. Kyriakoulis was Analytical Solutions Manager in Risk Management for Banking and Insurance at SAS Institute. Dr. Kyriakoulis received his Ph.D. in 2006 from the Department of Economics at NC State University, specializing in econometrics. He will teach several subjects, beginning with Simulation and Risk Analytics in January.

Dr. Christopher West — Dr. West is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force with over 20 years of experience in engineering project management and leadership positions. Most recently, he was Chief of Emergency Management and Modernization Branch, HQ Air Combat Command, Installations & Mission Support Directorate at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Dr. West received his Ph.D. in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University in 2006. In his new position as Practicum Manager, Dr. West will guide the Institute’s MSA student teams through the practicum project experience.

April Wilson — April will lead the Institute’s placement activities as Career Services Coordinator. April was previously employed at SAS and has eight years of human resources experience that includes recruitment, employee relations, compensation, and training and development, and six years of specialized experience dealing with students and diversity in both a corporate and higher education arena. April graduated from NC State University in 1997 with a B.S. in Textile and Apparel Management.

Brandon Barbour — Brandon joins the Institute as Technology Support Specialist. Brandon is an experienced IT professional who has worked previously for NC State University and was most recently employed as Customer Support Center Manager for the North Carolina Department of Heath and Human Services. Brandon graduated from NC State University in 2009 with a B.A. in Political Science.

Tony Mostek — Tony rejoins the Institute’s staff as Academic Program Coordinator after a seven-month hiatus in industry. A retired U.S. Air Force Captain, Tony has 14 years of experience working in military, industry and university environments. Previously, Tony worked for four years as Outreach Coordinator for the Institute. Tony graduated with a MBA from Webster University and B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire.

Bobbie Gore — Bobbie is an Administrative Support Specialist working at the Institute in a temporary capacity. She has worked in various administrative positions at NC State University for fourteen years.

In addition to the new full-time staff, the Institute is also pleased to announce that two of its affiliated faculty—Dr. Sudipta Dasmohapatra and Dr. David Dickey—have agreed to perform the majority of their teaching duties in the MSA program. We are very fortunate to have both of them more fully engaged with our students.