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”
Author: Michael Rappa
Mostek Joins Staff
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
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!
Students Attend SAS Global Forum
A large group of MSA students will travel to San Antonio, Texas this week to attend the SAS Global Forum. SGF is the premier event for SAS professionals worldwide, offering an abundance of educational and networking opportunities over four days beginning March 16. Petr Husták (MSA candidate, class of 2008) will present his paper titled “Range Formats Made Easy – CreateRangeFormat Custom Task for SAS Enterprise Guide”. Petr, who is a native of Prague in the Czech Republic, was named as a SAS Student Ambassador and awarded a travel grant to attend the meeting.
Green Honored at Awards Reception
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.
Spring Break?
It’s spring break week and the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) students will skip the annual migration to southern beaches, and instead dive into a three-day, intensive bootcamp to hone their communication skills. In today’s competitive marketplace employers seek the best analytical talent. But to be truly productive on the job, analytics professionals must also possess strong communication skills—to be able to effectively present the results of complex analytical work to senior management and non-technical clients. MSA students voted collectively to forgo their spring vacation in favor of investing the time and effort in bolstering their communication skills with the guidance of an industry trainer.
Trustees Approve Expansion
The NC State Board of Trustees has approved a proposal to expand the Institute that would double the size of its facility on Centennial Campus to 8,000 square feet. The new space will allow the Institute to consolidate its operations into a single location on the fifth floor of the Venture 2 Building. After the retrofit is complete, the facility will accommodate offices for faculty and staff, a 45-seat classroom, work areas for students, and a data center. The Institute is slated to occupy its new home in August 2008, and will allow the Master of Science degree program to double its current enrollment capacity of two-dozen students.
Students Support Children’s Hospital
MSA students led by classmate Sean Harris contributed a record amount to the 24th Annual Pack-A-Thon, which raised a total of nearly $7,000 in support of the NC Children’s Hospital. Sean spent the day on February 9 with students from across campus helping to raise awareness about the importance of children’s health and the quality of life for children and family at the hospital. The MSA Class of 2008 joined together to support Sean’s effort with their contributions. Thanks to everyone for their generosity.
Guest Speaker Series Begins
The Institute’s spring semester speaker series kicks-off with special guests Roger Potter and Joseph Grillo, both of whom are analytics executives with Travelers Companies, Inc., in Hartford, Connecticut. Travelers is one of the largest providers of property and casualty insurance products in the United States with over 7.1 million personal insurance policies in force. Their talk centers on the application of advanced analytics in today’s insurance industry. The speaker series continues through April with invited guests from 17 companies.
Ladrie Appointed Academic Program Coordinator
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Laura Ladrie as the Institute’s new Academic Program Coordinator. Laura oversees day-to-day operation of the Master of Science in Analytics degree program, working closely with our students and faculty. Laura served as a member of the university task force that led to the creation of the Institute. Since 2006, she worked in a half-time capacity to coordinate MSA curriculum development and implementation during the first year of the program. Prior to joining the Institute full-time, Laura worked as an IT consultant with the NC State University Information Technology Division.