For the past few years MinneAnalytics has increased its commitment to the data science and analytics profession by enhancing the number and quality of students pursuing careers in this field.  This support has included funding individual scholarships, and providing funding support, volunteers, judges and speakers at academic events in the upper Midwest.

We look forward to continuing to expand our support to both students and academics in 2017. Plans for involvement in in the upcoming year include:

• Increasing the number of academic scholarships awarded to deserving students seeking a career in statistics, data science or data management.

• Supporting for the fifth year the Annual Midwest Undergraduate Data Analytics Competition (MUDAC) on April 1–2. MUDAC brings together over 150 participants, academic advisors, working professionals and volunteers dedicated to enhancing the education of undergraduates who will soon be entering the data analytics profession.

• Involved with Advance IT Minnesota’s Data Derby on April 8. This includes both a Datathon (data released on March 15) and a Datagon (data released on the day of the competition).

• Providing support to the Data Analytics Educational Workshop at Minnesota State University, Mankato, March 24–25. For more information on this, contact mark@minneanalytics.org.

• Active with Advance IT Minnesota’s New Directions in IT/Main Street Agile conference at Winona State University, May 17–19. The conference covers Agile/DevOps, Data Science/Analytics and Cybersecurity/Information Assurance.

• Once again sponsoring the MinneMUDAC competition in the Fall of 2017. In 2016, MinneAnalytics provided all funding and organizational support, including reaching out to our community to find the over 80 judges required. Social Data Science worked with the Twin Cities Met Council to provide the three data sets of over 6 GB of data, and MUDAC shared its many years’ experience conducting analytic competitions among academic institutions. This year’s competition will focus on data provided by Optum.

• Being involved in preliminary planning for a data analytics conference for middle school and high school students in the Fall, 2017. More information to come on this.

MinneAnalytics also continues to respond to requests from academic programs in the area to share our insight, experience and expertise as input to enhancing their programs. If you would like to be involved, please contact us at education@minneanalytics.org.

Contact dan@minneanalytics.org to learn more about scholarship opportunities.