DATASCIENCE has been deemed the “sexiest job of the 21st century.”
DATASCIENCE has been deemed the “sexiest job of the 21st century” by the Harvard Business Review. Such a designation is catchy, but why is this type of job appealing? A data scientist is responsible for transforming data to useable information. Data has become relevant in every company and every sector of the economy.
The demand for data scientists will continue to outpace most other occupations for the foreseeable future. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, the United States alone faces a shortage of 140,000 to 190,000 people with deep analytical skills, as well as 1.5 million managers and analysts to analyze big data and make decisions based on their findings.
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Winona State University created The Midwest Undergraduate Data Analytics Competition (MUDAC) three years ago to bring together students from around the Midwest to solve a data analytics problem for an industry partner. MUDAC continues to be hosted by WSU each April
MUDAC was designed to showcase the ability of undergraduates to solve a complex data analytics problem. Fastenal Corporation of Winona has been the primary corporate sponsor of the competition since its inception. Fastenal, a wholesaler and retailer of industrial and construction materials with over 2,600 locations world-wide, will provide this year’s analytics problem and student teams will spend an intense 24- hour period to provide the solution.
A total of 100 students participated in MUDAC 2014. These participants and their mentors represented 14 different colleges and universities from around the Midwest. The competition begins at noon on a Saturday, and over the next 24 hours teams must complete an analysis, provide a written summary of their finding, and present their recommendations to the judges. Judges include several working professionals in the area of data science, as well as alumni who have returned to WSU specifically to serve as judges for this competition.
Teams with a diverse knowledge base and the ability to digest complex problems tend to do well in this competition. Peter Guidinger, a representative from Fastenal, commented, “One of the most useful take-a- ways from the competition is the creativity and diversity in the solutions provided. The students help us think about our business in different ways, and we enjoy contributing to their long-term professional development at this formative stage in their training.”
Chris Malone, Professor of Statistics at WSU and Director of MUDAC, said, “The competition brings together many people on so many levels. Students get to meet students from other universities. Mentors come together and share their expertise.”
In addition to showcasing the analytical abilities of the undergraduate students, MUDAC offers a networking opportunity for participants with WSU Alumni and other corporate professionals from around the Midwest. Corporate representatives leave the event with resumes and a fresh pool of potential employees. MUDAC is doing its part to fill the demand for future data scientists.
MUDAC 2015 is scheduled for April 11-12 on the Winona State campus. We encourage our alumni to get involved! For more information please visit MUDAC.org.
