The Institute for Advanced Analytics (IAA) launched its inaugural Alumni Summit on Friday, April 24, at NC State’s Talley Student Center. Designed to strengthen connections among alumni, faculty, and staff, the event offered a crucial platform for dialogue on the future of data science. For many, the summit was the first opportunity to hear from IAA Goodnight Executive Director Bill Rand since he assumed the role in July 2025, detailing his vision for the nation’s “oldest and boldest” Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) program.
View photos from the IAA Alumni Summit
The forward-looking direction and continued leadership of the program were met with enthusiasm. One post-event survey respondent shared, “I am excited for the new direction of the IAA and proud that this program continues to lead the way in talent development for tomorrow’s analytical needs.”
A major focus of the day was ensuring the MSA curriculum remains cutting-edge. Attendees heard key findings from a recent alumni survey, presented by IAA Associate Teaching Professor Andrea Villanes ‘09, which provided valuable perspectives on the curriculum’s current strengths and areas for improvement. This discussion was reinforced by dynamic panel sessions. These panels explored how AI is fundamentally shaping the data professional landscape and highlighted the varied, successful career trajectories of IAA alumni.
Participants, who represented all but two of the IAA’s 19 cohorts of graduates, left the summit feeling empowered and connected. “The Institute is evolving and becoming more integrated with NC State,” noted one attendee. They added, “I walked away feeling like the skills we developed at the IAA enable us to thrive in the AI world, and reminded of my amazing network!” This network proved invaluable, as another respondent noted, “I found it very valuable to connect with peers and learn from their experiences, particularly around how AI is changing how we work.”
A highlight of the summit was the presentation of the Institute’s first Alumni Trailblazer Award. Director Rand honored Hiwot Tesfaye ‘16, Technical Advisor in the Office of Responsible AI at Microsoft, with the inaugural award. This recognition celebrates an MSA alum who embodies the Institute’s core ethos—humble, hungry, and smart—while making a significant impact in the data science profession and maintaining active engagement with the IAA.
As the Institute approaches its 20th anniversary, the IAA team is eager to build on the momentum of the Alumni Summit. Alumni and other IAA supporters can anticipate more events and engagement opportunities in the year ahead. The value of this network was perfectly captured by an attendee who remarked, “The feeling of companionship that comes from being surrounded by like-minded people facing the same dilemmas is priceless.”
The Institute team expresses sincere gratitude to all who attended the summit, especially the following alumni who served as speakers and panelists:
- Bryson Bonham ‘18 – Head of AI Enablement & Data Science, Ellipsis Health
- Jim Box ‘14 – Principal Data Scientist, Healthcare & Life Sciences, SAS
- Lindy Bustabad ‘22 – Senior Analytics Engineer, Pendo
- Adam Crouch ‘18 – Senior Director of Analytics, BHG Financial
- Grant Fleming ‘19 – Senior Alignment Data Scientist, AE Studio
- Grace Heyne Lybrand ‘17 – Senior Director of Product, Enterprise Data, Lantern
- Erin McGowan ‘13 – SVP Customer Experience Solutions & Services, Dataiku
- Sneha Raghavan ‘17 – Vice President, Global Customer Success, Pendo
- Hiwot Tesfaye ‘16 – Technical Advisor, Office of Responsible AI, Microsoft
- Ryan Wendt ‘17 – DataML Engineer, QuadSci