The MSA Class of 2009 completed seven team projects as part of the company-sponsored analytics practicum. Students worked with large amounts of data usually provided by their sponsor. The practicum culminated with a written report and presentation to the sponsor in the last week of April. All projects were completed to the satisfaction of their sponsors. The sponsors this year included: Detica, Hallmark, IBM, NetJets, Travelocity, and Wachovia/Wells Fargo. Many thanks to our sponsors for their participation!
Author: Michael Rappa
Rappa to Chair International Web Conference
Dr. Michael Rappa will co-chair the 19th International World Wide Web Conference (WWW2010) to be held at the Raleigh Convention Center in April 2010. The conference is a yearly international gathering of 1,000+ researchers who work at the forefront in setting the technical direction of the Web. Begun in 1994, it is the premier forum to discuss and debate the evolution of the Web, the standardization of its associated technologies, and the impact of those technologies on society and culture. Joining Dr. Rappa as General Co-chair is Paul Jones (UNC). Kathy Green, the Institute’s associate director, will chair of the Local Arrangements Committee.
Students Augment MSA with Optional Certifications
Students in the MSA Class of 2009 completed the program with a record level of achievement on professional certifications in statistical programming and statistical quality control. In addition to the much sought after SAS certifications, this year’s class also had the option of completing NC State’s Six Sigma training. The professional certifications are extremely popular with students and employers alike. Ninety percent of the class will graduate with one of more certifications in statistical programming, and nearly eighty percent will complete one or more levels in Six Sigma.
Industry Advisory Board Expands
The Institutes new Industry Advisory Board (IAB) met for its inaugural meeting at the Park Alumni Center in February. Thirty members representing 24 companies were in attendance for the daylong meeting. The agenda focused on a comprehensive review of the MSA curriculum. Members heard presentations on each of the major components of the curriculum and were given the opportunity to provide structured feedback. Since the meeting, the IAB has expanded its membership to 27 companies. Members partner with the Institute to recruit MSA graduates and to sponsor practicum projects. The next meeting is planned for October.
Students Compete in Data Mining Competition
Three teams of MSA candidates—sixteen students in total—are competing in the Third Annual Data Mining Shootout sponsored by SAS, Central Michigan University Research Corporation and Dow Chemical. Winners will be announced in August. The top three teams will be honored as the winners at the M2009 Data Mining Conference. The MSA team advisors are Dr. David Dickey, Dr. Simon Hsiang and Dr. Sudipta Dasmohapatra.
Ladrie, Jernigan Receive Gertrude Cox Award
Laura Ladrie (Academic Program Coordinator) and John Jernigan (IT Coordinator) received NC State’s 2009 Gertrude Cox Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching and Learning with Technology. Laura and John were honored for their development and application of a suite of web-based software tools used to operate the MSA degree program.
Executive Speaker Series – Eric Webster
The Institute is delighted to announce SAS will sponsor a series of executive guest lectures for students in the Master of Science in Analytics degree program. The series will include five lectures during 2009. Our first guest executive is Eric Webster, vice president of Marketing at State Farm® Corporate Headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois, who will visit on February 19. The theme of Eric’s talk will focus on the application of analytics to marketing in the insurance industry. Continue reading “Executive Speaker Series – Eric Webster”
Ahead of the Curve
U.S. News and World Report’s guide to the best careers published this month lists data miner as one of a dozen “ahead of the curve” careers for 2009:
Data mining is a great career for people who would enjoy using statistics to unearth patterns in data, using ever more powerful software. Opportunities are particularly good if you also have business sense and the ability to tease out the information that bosses really want to know.
Companies Join Advisory Board
The Institute is pleased to announce a newly established Industry Advisory Board (IAB) to provide guidance on the MSA curriculum. The IAB is composed of two-dozen companies that represent a variety of industry segments from across the country. The first meeting of the IAB is scheduled for February on NC State’s Centennial Campus. Participating companies Continue reading “Companies Join Advisory Board”
Students Tackle Communications Boot Camp
As most students are leaving campus for winter break, MSA students are gearing up to complete an intensive communication boot camp designed by professional industry trainer Bart Queen of C3 Communications. Employers want most to hire recruits with stronger communications skills. The MSA program addresses this need head-on with 30 hours of communications training over three days of the winter break. Students are divided into Continue reading “Students Tackle Communications Boot Camp”
Noted Author Shostak Speaks on Clinical Data
Jack Shostak, associate director of statistical programming at the Duke Clinical Research Institute (or DCRI—part of Duke University), spoke with MSA students about the analytical challenges of working with clinical data. Shostak is author of SAS Programming in the Pharmaceutical Industry (SAS Press, 2005) and co-author (with Glenn Walker) of the forthcoming 3rd edition of Common Statistical Methods for Clinical Research with SAS Examples.
Ladrie and Jernigan Talk at UNC Cause
Laura Ladrie and John Jernigan delivered a presentation today on the Institute’s use of various web-based student services (calendar, forum, email, etc.) to a standing room only audience at UNC Cause held November 17-19 in Greensboro. The purpose of the conference is to promote cooperation, information exchange and the leveraging of IT among the 16 campuses of the UNC System. The topic of the talk is a timely one. The UNC System administration is working diligently to consolidate services, reduce operating costs and deliver high quality service to its students. The reliance on web-based services enables the Institute to be flexible, fast and cost-effective in the deployment of its innovative curriculum.
NC Commerce Official Speaks
John Correllus, director of business intelligence for the North Carolina Department of Commerce, spoke with MSA students today about the department’s Economic Development Intelligence System (EDIS) online database. Using EDIS, individuals can access reporting and mapping tools that are deployed through SAS’s BI platform. The use of geographic information in conjunction with analytical techniques has been an ongoing area of study for MSA students under the instruction of Dr. Hugh Devine. In the session students were shown a practical application of analytics for economic development along with the integration of mapping tools. Students discussed the reports and maps that can geographically display information such as demographics, consumer expenditures and income.
Institute Opens New Facility
With the opening today of its new facility in the Venture 2 Building, the Institute has consolidated its operations in a single location on Centennial Campus. The new space occupies 8,000 square feet of the building’s top floor and includes a classroom, student work areas, teleconference rooms, and offices for faculty and staff—with ubiquitous, secure wireless Internet access. Situated in the heart of the five-building Venture complex, Venture 2 offers much needed accommodations to operate the Master of Science in Analytics degree program and its current cohort of 35 students. Located in Suite 530, the Institute is neighbored on the fifth floor with NC State’s DELTA unit. Special thanks to the Institute’s associate director, Kathy Green, who led the effort to design and furnish the new facility. UPDATE: An open house for friends of the Institute is scheduled for 12:00-2:00 PM on Friday, December 5.
Analytics Practicum Projects Announced
The Analytics Practicum is a team-based component of the MSA curriculum that gives students an opportunity to work together on real-world projects sponsored by industry. The Institute is pleased to announce our project sponsors for 2008-09 include: Continue reading “Analytics Practicum Projects Announced”