The University of North Carolina Board of Governors voted today to approve the Institute’s proposal to acquire a larger facility to accommodate enrollment growth in the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree program. The Institute will proceed to seek closure on a lease agreement for approximately 25,000 square feet, which will allow it to enroll up to 120 students in the MSA Class of 2016 next June. “We’re excited about the opportunity to expand enrollment and ready to move forward,” said the Institute’s director Dr. Michael Rappa. “The MSA has one of the university’s largest applicant pools for a graduate program, and now we’ll be able to admit that many more talented and deserving candidates.”
Author: Michael Rappa
Director Gives Keynote Address
The Institute’s director, Dr. Michael Rappa, delivered a keynote address today at the Analytics 2014 conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dr. Rappa discussed how universities are solving the talent shortage in analytics and illustrated his talk with the Institute’s successful seven-year track record with the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree program. Dr. Rappa called on universities to breakdown barriers to interdisciplinary Continue reading “Director Gives Keynote Address”
Faculty, Alumni Converge at Analytics Conference
Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) faculty and alumni converged in large numbers on Las Vegas last week at Analytics 2014, the premiere annual event bringing together 1,000 analytics professionals. Representing the Institute at the conference was MSA alumnus Patrick Hall, who presented an overview of machine learning. Continue reading “Faculty, Alumni Converge at Analytics Conference”
Practicum Projects Begin
Kick-off meetings held here and elsewhere around the country marked the beginning of the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) Class of 2015 practicum projects for 17 teams of students. Many of the teams traveled to their sponsor’s locations, up and down the east coast to destinations such as Boston, New York, Washington, DC, and Jacksonville, Florida. The practicum is a core facet of the MSA learning experience, where teams of students work on challenging problems using large amounts of proprietary data from the sponsors. The projects last 8 months and culminate Continue reading “Practicum Projects Begin”
Director to Co-Chair Analytics 2014
The Institute’s director Dr. Michael Rappa joins advisory board member Dr. Jerry Oglesby as co-chairs of the Analytics 2014 conference to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 19-21. With over 1,000 registered attendees, Analytics 2014 is one of the year’s major educational events that brings together working professionals, industry experts and leading researchers in the field of analytics.
Institute Poised to Grow
The NC State University Board of Trustees voted to approve a proposal to allow the Institute to acquire larger facilities on Centennial Campus to accommodate growing enrollment in the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree program. The proposal now awaits approval of the UNC Board of Governors. The new facilities will enable the Institute to enroll up to 120 students next summer for the Class of 2016. The vote puts the MSA on a path to become one of NC State’s largest graduate programs in terms of degrees conferred annually. The MSA has a history of operating at full capacity, Continue reading “Institute Poised to Grow”
MSA Class of 2015 Student Profiles
The Institute is delighted to introduce 86 candidates in the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) Class of 2015. Interested employers and friends of the Institute are invited to download the Student Profile Book to learn more about our students. Prospective employers: please contact us to receive your complimentary copy of the Class of 2015 Resume Book when it becomes available in December. Continue reading “MSA Class of 2015 Student Profiles”
Students Lead Charitable Drive
It’s back to school for hundreds of 6th-, 7th-, and 8th- graders at nearby Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School (CCMMS). The MSA Class of 2015, continuing a student tradition, sought to lend a helping hand to our Centennial Campus neighbors by holding a charitable drive to donate school supplies—from pencils and notebooks to backpacks to USB data storage devices—everything schoolchildren need to be productive, but cannot always afford on a tight family budget. Many thanks to all of the MSA student volunteers who gave generously of their time in the collection effort, and our sincere gratitude to everyone who made a donation! Continue reading “Students Lead Charitable Drive”
University Committee Approves Space Request
Today the University Space Committee chaired by Provost Warwick Arden reviewed the Institute’s request for a strategic lease of approximately 22,000 square feet of office and classroom space on Centennial Campus to grow the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree program to a maximum of 180 students. The new Alliance One building, currently under construction, was approved for a strategic lease for a term of 10 years.
Practicum Sponsors Announced
One of the world’s leading cosmetics companies, Estée Lauder, is among the many organizations on this year’s roster of practicum project sponsors for the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) Class of 2015. The seventeen projects—which span aerospace, autos, chemicals, consumer goods, banking, energy, professional sports, Continue reading “Practicum Sponsors Announced”
Director Speaks at IISE Event
The Institute’s director, Dr. Michael Rappa, was the invited guest speaker this evening at a dinner gathering of the Raleigh Chapter of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) on the NC State campus in Raleigh. Dr. Rappa’s talk focused on how the emergence of Analytics and Big Data will broadly affect the practice of industrial Continue reading “Director Speaks at IISE Event”
Wells Fargo Data Group
The Institute’s director Dr. Michael Rappa traveled to Charlotte today to speak at a corporate-wide gathering of the Wells Fargo Enterprise Data and Analytics leadership team convened by the company’s new Chief Data Officer, Dr. Charles Thomas. Dr. Rappa provided executives with an overview of the Institute’s novel 10-month Master of Science in Analytics degree program and its growing pipeline of graduates. Joining him Continue reading “Wells Fargo Data Group”
Six Sigma Forum Keynote
The Institute’s director, Dr. Michael Rappa, was the keynote speaker today at the 12th Annual Lean Six Sigma Forum—Big Data, Big Decisions: Leveraging Lean Six Sigma in a Data Rich Environment—hosted by the NC State University College of Textiles. In his lecture, Dr. Rappa provided a sweeping overview of how the world is being changed by “big data” and the new digital reality facing businesses. The Institute’s students Continue reading “Six Sigma Forum Keynote”
Data Scientists and Big Data
How the Statistics community can best respond to the demand for data science and analytics education was the topic of a presentation by the Institute’s director Dr. Michael Rappa at the Joint Statistical Meetings held this week in Boston. Data Science and its relationship to conventional statistics degree programs is the focus of an intensifying dialogue in academic departments across the country. Speaking to Continue reading “Data Scientists and Big Data”
Bridging the Data Science Talent Gap
Speaking today at a summit on “Bridging the Data Science Talent Gap” held at MIT, the Institute’s director Dr. Michael Rappa shared his views on how universities can best respond to industry needs and address the acute shortage of data scientists. “Analytics is a team sport,” said Rappa. “We’ve focused our energy on creating a scalable learning model for producing high performing teams of professionals, who can blend Continue reading “Bridging the Data Science Talent Gap”