MTSU Mondays: Analytics class harnesses real-world data, Blackman research showcased

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MTSU business analytics class elevates real-world data from industry partner

Over the course of 90-minutes during MTSU assistant professor Stephanie Totty’s graduate course in information systems and analytics, a smorgasbord of colorful dashboards are projected from students’ computers or thumb drives to the large screen inside the third-floor classroom in the Business and Aerospace Building.

Ten MTSU students had roughly 10 minutes to showcase the skills they’d developed under Totty’s guidance over the past several weeks into their own unique digital dashboard. In a partnership with KONE, the company gave Totty’s Applied Business Analytics class limited access to a host of what Totty called “disparate data” from various operational areas such as hours worked, safety and training performance, and others.

KONE is a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry with over 60,000 employees worldwide representing 145 nationalities. The partnership with KONE developed through a personal relationship between Stuart Fowler, associate professor and chair of the Department of Economics and Finance, and Robert Whitaker, a district environmental, health and safety director, and nine-year veteran with KONE.

The goal was for the graduate students to create a dashboard concept that KONE executives at a variety of managerial levels might find useful to either get snapshots of overall performance metrics across districts or regions, or even be able to drill down further into the data to highlight the performance metrics of a specific branch.

“Students were able to present to a real business executive and get feedback and also something they can put on their resume,” said Totty, an assistant professor in the Department of Information Systems and Analytics and in her second year at the university. “We’re in the business of getting people prepared for jobs and certainly this is something that they can say that they did. You can’t replicate real-world data.”

Blackman Collegiate Academy students showcase research, dozens consider MTSU 

Zach Shaferwants to be a professional pilot one day. He is considering Middle Tennessee State University’s highly regarded Aerospace Department and two other southern aviation programs to help complete his dream.

This fall, as a Blackman High School senior, Shafer was one of more than 50 Blackman Collegiate Academy students working on research projects. Along with the BCA seniors, Shafer shared his study, “New Technologies in Aviation,” during the eighth annual Blackman High School Collegiate Academy Capstone Symposium at the school recently.

In all, 53 BCA students took part this fall in research. Forty-four indicated they had applied to MTSU — and 12 listed the university as their only choice.

Launched in 2015 to attract high-achieving students, MTSU and Blackman have partnered with the collegiate academy as a way for students to access MTSU faculty and resources. BCA is open to qualifying students in grades 9 through 12. Eligible juniors and seniors can take up to six hours of MTSU courses taught by university faculty at no cost, with credits counting on high school and college transcripts.

Joined by BCA Dean Kim Baumann, Principal Justin Smith thanked her and fellow capstone teachers Kevin Green and Scott Wortman and congratulated this year’s group before the event began.

MTSU College of Education celebrates graduates with seminar, gift cards, job fair 

As executive director of the Office of Professional Laboratory Experiences at the College of Education, Tiffany Dellard organizes end-of-semester, full-day seminars to celebrate education students before they graduate and lead their own classrooms.

“Their student teaching semester can be very challenging, and we want to take some time to acknowledge all that they have done to get to that point,” Dellard said.

This fall’s cohort of 61 students attended their celebration earlier this month with a morning of remarks from interim Dean Rick Vanosdall, information about graduate programs, a complimentary meal and a giveaway of 35 $100 gift cards — a total of $3,500 in prizes — courtesy of MTSU Athletics and provided by the College Football Playoff Foundation.

“We do a COE (College of Education) giveaway every semester, but this was the first time we had a giveaway from outside the college,” Dellard said. “Educators put a lot into their classrooms and their students, including their own money for supplies and resources. It is nice to help them give to their students without having to reach into their own wallets.”

Rachel Fullerton, assistant director of marketing for athletics, said she learned about the opportunity to provide prizes to COE graduates while accompanying university mascot Lightning to an earlier education event.

MTSU Mondays content is provided by submissions from MTSU News and Media Relations.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: MTSU Mondays research and honors