Day for Data to demonstrate 'analytics in action'

On Friday, Sept. 9, Virginia Tech students will have the opportunity to see “analytics in action,” and learn how leading companies utilize data analytics every day to drive key business decisions. The inaugural Day for Data, hosted by the Pamplin College of Business’s Center for Business Analytics, will connect students and industry professionals in an exploration of the modern applications of data analytics in the corporate setting.

“Virginia Tech has a plethora of exciting and advanced analytics programs and capabilities,” said Jay Winkeler, executive director of the Center for Business Analytics. “Day For Data is our attempt to bring the university community together and show how analytics is changing our world and how our students can be a part of the analytics revolution.”

The day will feature an address from Interim Dean of Pamplin College of Business, Roberta “Robin” Russell, as well as a keynote address from Mabby Amouie, chief data scientist for Norfolk Southern. There will be presentations by Sam Hampton, co-founder of Vizalogix, Ranyah Salous, associate director of advanced analytics and intelligent automation for Guidehouse, and Eric Christensen, technical lead for FutureScape at Deloitte.

“It is our hope that students will see ways in which data analytics is changing the world and their daily lives and inspire them to want to be a part of that,” said Winkeler. “For industry professionals, it is a chance to tell their success stories and meet talented students.”

After a lunch and networking break, there will be a panel discussion, “’The Real World’ — Recent Alumni Perspectives on an Emerging Field,” featuring Sarah Spicer, data analyst at Capital One, Mark Collins, consultant at Guidehouse Defense, and Nikos Harasty, consultant at Deloitte, all of whom are graduates of the Center for Business Analytics’s MSBA-BA program. Closing remarks will be from Richard Darden, distinguished engineer and digital human evangelist for IBM Expert Labs.

The day will conclude with a networking reception at the Maroon Door in downtown Blacksburg.

The field of business intelligence and analytics is one of the four Pamplin Pillars, as laid out in Pamplin’s strategic plan. However, Winkeler emphasized that the event was open to all Virginia Tech students.

“Just like the MSBA-BA program run by the Center for Business Analytics, we are welcoming students of all majors to attend and learn what data analytics is all about,” he said. “We expect to see significant interest from our Pamplin students as well as those in the College of Science and the College of Engineering, but given the ubiquitous nature of data analytics, we expect there to be broad interest.”

For more information on the Day for Data, or to register, please visit the event page.