Kennesaw State University’s Analytics Day celebrates undergraduate and graduate analytics students’ work. The event features poster presentations of students’ analytics research and guest speakers discussing evolving trends in analytics and data science.
Analytics Day provides our students with an opportunity to discuss their analytical
work with thought leaders and practitioners from across the region, giving them the
opportunity to discuss collaborative projects with local businesses. This event provides
organizations with a platform to meet students at all levels who are considering careers
in advanced analytics.
This semester's event will be held on Friday, April 19, 2024, on the Kennesaw Campus at the KSU Center, located at 3333 Busbee Drive NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144.
Registration
Online registration is closed. You may still register on site at the KSU Center (3333 Busbee Drive, Kennesaw, GA 30144) on Friday.
8:30-10:25am: Student Poster Presentations and Breakfast
10:30-10:40: Networking and Breakfast
10:45-10:50am: "Welcome", Sherry Ni, Ph.D.,Professor of Data Science and Analytics and Interim Director of the School of Data
Science and Analytics, Kennesaw State University
10:55 - 11:20am: "Impact of Generative AI on Work and Required Skills", Mike Stefanick, Managing Director - Leader Risk AI & ML Platforms, EY
11:25 - 11:50am: "Getting Data Out of the Box - Driving a Data-Informed Culture", Nick Whatley, Director of Enterprise Data & Customer Analytics, Southern Company
11:55am - 12:20pm: "KSU's BS in Data Science and Analytics: Filling Student and Industry Needs" Panel
Discussion featuring:
Divyes Patel, Director - Research, Development and Innovation, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
Michael Frankel, Director, Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Analytics and Senior Lecturer
of Statistics, Kennesaw State University
Amal Samih, Data Science and Analytics Major, Kennesaw State University
Anaya Tention, Data Science and Analytics Major, Kennesaw State University
12:25pm: "Announcement of Poster Presentation Winners", Omar Kitosi, Manager, Data Analytics and Reporting, Southern Company
Keynote Speakers
Mike Stefanik
Managing Director - Leader AI & ML Platforms - Generative AI Prototypes for Risk/Legal/Banking,
EY
Mike Stefanick comes with over 25 years of expertise in the development and deployment of large-scale, global analytics, data platforms, and technology solutions. Throughout his career, Mike has not only led global analytics teams but has also been at the forefront of pioneering AI technology initiatives that have significantly transformed many fortune 500 clients across the globe. Mike was fortunate to work closely with Nobel Laureate Myron Scholes during his career on the intersection of Risk analytics and the advancement of AI technologies, to provide early industry leadership on how complex Risk management problem can be solved with emerging technologies.
Mike's leadership was instrumental in the development and delivery of EY’s Assurance Compliance Global Analytics and Data platform, a global AI platform deployed across over 36 countries. This platform stands as a cornerstone for continuous monitoring of various critical areas including Risk, Insider Threat, Cybersecurity, Sales Compliance, KYC, and other Fraud/Compliance use cases, seamlessly integrated with multiple cloud environments.
Additionally, Mike has spearheaded the EY’s Nexus Risk technology platform, an innovative solution that accelerates Generative AI applications with advanced risk technology. The Nexus platform, representing a substantial $50M investment over three years, encompasses defined AI microservices dedicated to Risk assessment, compliance, Fraud detection, Cyber testing and Risk data aggregation, highlighting Mike's commitment to advancing risk management technologies.
Prior to his current achievements, Mike has held several leadership positions including GVP of Risk and Transformation at SunTrust Bank, SVP of Commercial Analytics at Equifax, Chief Architect and Technology Officer at 5/3 Bank, IBM Partner for Cognitive Analytics, Global Head of SAS Risk Analytics, and head of Digital Technology Transformation at Digitas. Mike was also a founding board member of the KSU PhD in Decision Science program.
Nick Whatley
Director of Enterprise Data & Customer Analytics, Southern Company
Nick Whatley serves as the director of enterprise data and customer analytics at Southern
Company Services.
He joined Southern Company in 2011 and has held various roles of increasing responsibility in energy and revenue forecasting, pricing design, marketing analytics, and customer insights across Alabama Power, Georgia Power, and Southern Company Services.
Nick holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Business
Administration, Business Analytics Concentration, from the University of Alabama.
In his spare time, he enjoys volunteering as a youth basketball coach, golfing, and
trying to keep up with his two young children.
Panel Speakers
Divyes Patel
Director - Research, Development and Innovation, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
Divyes serves as the director of research, development and innovation for the information
delivery division at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. In this role, he is responsible
for leading new innovation, technology and development strategies for the enterprise
data and analytic platform.
He has more than 20 years of experience in reporting, analytics, and informatics development. Prior to joining BCBST in 2011, Divyes worked for Ingenix Consulting. During that time, he led a development team in building a clinical value measurement infrastructure using SAS to automate clinical ROI savings calculations for OptumHealth clinical programs. He was also instrumental in building an industry-leading clinical reporting package that tracked clinical activity to the financial outcomes of OptumHealth. He also led the building of a clinical reporting data mart for reporting and ad hoc uses. While at Cigna, Divyes was a Health data consultant working with matrix partners to provide comprehensive consultative services including report design, high quality analysis, analytical studies and plan design recommendations spanning all of their products and services.
Michael Frankel
Director, Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Analytics and Senior Lecturer of
Statistics, Kennesaw State University
Michael Frankel is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Data Science and Analytics where he is the Undergraduate Programs Coordinator. He has taught a variety of undergraduate courses including Computer Applications of Statistics, Statistical Methods, and Binary Classification, and has mentored numerous student poster presentations and honors projects in various topics such as Sports Analytics and Credit Scoring since joining the faculty in 2006. He has served as the coordinator for the minor program since 2014 and the new Bachelor's of Science in Data Science and Analytics since its creation in 2023.
Amal Samih
Data Science and Analytics Major, Kennesaw State University
Amal is a junior majoring in Data Science and Analytics, driven by a passion for bridging
biology and statistical analysis techniques in bioinformatics. She plans to pursue
higher education to acquire a useful skill set that will aid her in achieving her
goals in this interdisciplinary field. In her free time, Amal finds joy in playing
soccer, exploring new destinations through travel, and indulging in the art of baking.
Anaya Tention
Data Science and Analytics Major, Kennesaw State University
Anaya Tention is a sophomore pursuing a degree in Data Science and Analytics, with aspirations to delve into the world of data science. Even at the early stage of her academic journey, Anaya is intrigued by the intricate puzzle of statistical analysis—each project that she has encountered in her coursework thus far presented a unique 'treasure hunt' to uncover the 'why' behind the data. As Anaya learns more about data science and the wide range of applications, she is eager to explore different industries and real-world applications of data science.
The School of Data Science and Analytics at Kennesaw State University is a one-stop shop offering general education courses, an undergraduate minor, online certificates, a bachelor's degree, a master’s degree, and we have the first PhD in Data Science and Analytics in the US. Industry and government organizations partner with us to find solutions to their data-centric problems through the Center for Data Science and Analytics (CDSA) and the Human Studies Lab, two of the most successful and dynamic research units at the university.
The KSU Center is located just off I-75 in Kennesaw, only one mile from the main campus
of Kennesaw State University. The address is 3333 Busbee Drive NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144.
There is plenty of free parking.
