The Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) Class of 2012 practicum projects are off and running. The practicum is a core component of the MSA curriculum that gives students an opportunity to work together on real-world projects with large amounts of data from industry sponsors. This year’s eight projects were selected from 27 proposals made by 20 organizations. New sponsors include eBay, Marriott, Siemens, Elder Research and The Daniel Group. Returning sponsors include Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, M&T Bank, and Quaero. Continue reading “Practicum Projects Announced”
Institute Announces Expansion
The Institute for Advanced Analytics is growing! In the coming months the Institute will add 6,000 sq.ft. for a second classroom, offices and student work spaces. The expansion is part of a plan approved by NC State University’s Board of Trustees to build on the tremendous success of the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree program and increase its enrollment to 80 students beginning in June 2012. When construction is completed, the Institute will have a total of nearly 15,000 sq.ft. with capacity to seat up to 120 students. MSA enrollment had been capped at 40 students due to Continue reading “Institute Announces Expansion”
Director Serves on Analytics Expert Panel
The Institute’s director, Dr. Michael Rappa, will serve on a 15-member expert panel that will help EDUCAUSE define the opportunities, challenges and approaches that will inform and educate college and university leaders about the value analytics brings to higher education. According to EDUCAUSE’s President and CEO, Dr. Diana Oblinger, analytics will be a critical tool for analyzing, predicting, and making decisions in areas such as Continue reading “Director Serves on Analytics Expert Panel”
Professional Science Masters Workshop
The Institute’s Dr. Aric LaBarr spoke today at the Best Practices Workshop for the National Professional Science Masters Association (NPSMA) in Niagra Falls, New York. His presentation focused on how the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree uniquely prepares professionals for the current needs of industry. The NPSMA is a collaborative of Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degree program directors, Continue reading “Professional Science Masters Workshop”
University Approves Space Request
Today the University Space Committee, chaired by the Provost, approved the Institute’s request to lease approximately 6,000 additional square feet contiguous to its current facility beginning April 1, 2012. The matter will now be referred to the Council of State for its review.
Center for Design Innovation
The Institute’s director, Dr. Michael Rappa, spoke today at the Center for Design Innovation (CDI) in Winston-Salem. CDI is a multi-campus research center within the University of North Carolina system. Led by Dr. Carol Strohecker, its goal is to spur economic transformation of the state’s Piedmont area through design-focused activity based on advanced digital technologies. Dr. Rappa’s talk on surviving and thriving in the digital economy was part of the Center’s on-going Idea Exchange series of events, which are open to the public.
SAS hosts MSA Class of 2012
SAS Institute, the leader in business analytics software and services, hosted the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) Class of 2012 today in its newly opened Executive Briefing Center at the company’s headquarters in Cary, North Carolina. Jim Goodnight, SAS co-founder and CEO, spoke with students about the rapidly growing importance of analytics to businesses and government, and the value of an analytics-focused education Continue reading “SAS hosts MSA Class of 2012”
Science of Better Podcast
The Institute’s director, Dr. Michael Rappa, was interviewed today by Barry List as part of The Science of Better: “Crunching the Numbers” podcast. The topic of discussion was the Institute’s innovative degree program, the Master of Science in Analytics. The biweekly podcast series offers engaging in-depth conversations about analytics and operations research of interest to practitioners. The Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), the leading association for analytics professionals, is the sponsor.
Institute Hosts Workshop
Today the Institute hosted the Pharmaceutical Users Software Exchange (PhUSE) for a single day event on campus entitled Principles and Practices of Statistical Programming: Analysis and Reporting in a Regulated Environment. PhUSE is an independent, not-for-profit organization run by volunteers that provides a global platform for the discussion of topics encompassing the work of Data Managers, Biostatisticians, Statistical Programmers and eClinical IT professionals.
Institute Increases Technology Investment
The Institute significantly increased its investment in information technologies to accommodate the escalating requirements of student practicum projects in the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree program. The practicum consists of teams of 4-5 students working on a challenging business problem with actual data from a sponsoring organization. Current projects typically involve 100’s of megabytes to 10’s of gigabytes of raw data—though the amount of data grows with each year. The new investments, Continue reading “Institute Increases Technology Investment”