Faculty Feature: Dr. Christopher West, Practicum Manager

As Practicum Manager for NC State’s Institute for Advanced Analytics, Dr. Chris West guides Master of Science in Analytics student teams through their eight-month Practicum project experience, wherein they produce data-driven results for sponsoring companies, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining the Institute in 2012, Dr. West retired from the U.S. Air Force as an engineering officer with more than 21 years of experience in leadership positions both stateside and in deployed locations. He sees his current role as a natural transition from his military career, as his focus remains on ground truth-level problems.

Hear from Dr. West about the Institute’s process for building robust Practicum teams.

Outside of his work at the Institute, Dr. West is a “wannabe mountaineer.” In addition to hiking, he enjoys cheering on the Boston Red Sox and spending time with his wife, Beth, and fourth-grade son, Jackson.

He received his Ph.D. in engineering management from Old Dominion University in 2006, M.S. in engineering management from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1996, and his B.S. in electrical engineering from Auburn University in 1991.