Companies across the globe harness the power of data to make better business decisions. Data scientists collect, analyze and make recommendations based on the massive amount of data generated in today’s digital economy. In Pinellas County, a fortune 150 company is taking the science of data one step further.
At Jabil, a leading manufacturing solutions provider that delivers comprehensive design, manufacturing, supply chain and product management services, data science is the new norm. Starting in 2016, Jabil partnered with USF to create a formal education program to empower employees to make data-based business decisions. Now, USF St. Petersburg has joined the partnership, holding classes at the Kate Tiedemann College of Business (KTCOB) where faculty members offer their expertise and guidance.
“The Citizen Data Scientist program is wonderful because it allows us to provide more resources to our community,” said Sridhar Sundaram, Dean of the Kate Tiedemann College of Business. “One of our priorities is to provide executive education and this is a great example of it in action.”
The program is another example of the close relationship between Jabil and USF. The university just announced a $1 million partnership with Jabil to launch the USF Jabil Institute, which will catalyze new collaborative efforts in innovative research, community engagement and talent development with the College of Engineering and Muma College of Business.
At USF St. Petersburg, students from Jabil enter the Citizen Data Scientist program with a real-world business problem. Over the course of three months, they learn and apply data science methodology to identify potential solutions. Graduation culminates in a final presentation where students present their findings to Jabil executives. The program is open to any Jabil employee who wants to take his or her data science knowledge to the next level.
“They come to us and say, ‘I think there’s an opportunity to find something valuable to Jabil buried in the data. Teach me how to search,’” said Matt Mullarkey, Instructor with the Information Systems and Decisions Sciences Department at the Muma College of Business.
Mullarkey is among the team of faculty teaching the classes along with Candy Mitchell, Director of Data Science & Artificial Intelligence at Jabil. A recent addition to the team is Dr. Varol Kayhan, an Assistant Professor of Information Systems & Decision Sciences from KTCOB.
“Varol’s addition to the team is another excellent example of the opportunities that exist when we consolidate forces across geographies to support the needs of these executive students,” said Mullarkey.
The students are trained in advanced data management techniques, statistics and statistical programming, predictive modeling, artificial intelligence, big data systems and business and economic principles – all vital to a well-rounded data science strategy.
Past projects include:
- Analyzing the work schedules of engineers to maximize effectiveness and efficiency
- Drilling into the impact of external influences on vendor pricing and its effect on prices
- Measuring the sentiment of Twitter posts and other external sources to anticipate market trends
Mitchell said it’s gratifying to see students respond to the material and use the information to develop business insights. Some past participants return to the class to serve as mentors to the current cohort.
“By the end, they’ve got it,” said Mitchell. “They have the passion, and they look at data in a different way.”
While classes were initially held at Jabil’s St. Petersburg headquarters, the program was recently moved to the campus of USF St. Petersburg in Lynn Pippenger Hall, which houses the Kate Tiedemann College of Business.
Mitchell said it’s been advantageous for participants to get away from the demands of the office so they can devote their full attention to the program.
“I want it to be a significant event for the students so they will remember it,” she said. “Coming to the campus helps the students to realize that goal.”
Sundaram said the partnership is a good example of how the ongoing USF consolidation process is providing students and members of the community with broader access and extends the reach of the university’s services in the Tampa Bay region.
“We’re no longer competing against one another,” said Sundaram. “We’re starting to see how we can benefit from one another and also better serve the needs of the community at the same time.”