Have you recently started a career and are using SAS?

Julie Petlick
Julie Petlick|May 10, 2012

The Junior Professional Program is a program offered at many of the SAS regional users group conferences that is designed to help support professionals who have started their career and are using SAS as part of their work.  Conferences are a great source of professional development.  Many companies have limited budgets for professional development, so it’s often the more senior level employees who are sponsored by their companies to attend and present at these types of events. The Junior Professional Program is designed to support the junior level professional, one who has been in their role and using SAS for less than 3 years.

NESUG 2012

NESUG Conference 2012

The NESUG conference will be held in Baltimore, Maryland at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel,   November 11-14, 2012.  This conference provides a great opportunity to learn some of the newest tips and techniques that you can immediately apply on the job.  There are sessions for all experience levels and lots of social events so you can share and learn from other SAS users.  There is still time to apply for the NESUG Junior Professional Grant  to attend this year’s conference.  The application deadline has been extended to May 30, so apply today for this great opportunity.

If you are still in school and haven’t started your career just yet, there’s a program for you as well.  NESUG is also offering a Student Scholarship Program   to attend the conference.  The application deadline has been extended to May 30 so apply today.  This is a great conference to learn some new SAS techniques and to build out your network of contacts in industries looking to hire those with SAS skills.

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Dare to DREAM BIG

Julie Petlick
Julie Petlick|May 8, 2012

The SAS Student Ambassadors are a select group of student researchers who have been recognized for using SAS technologies in innovative ways that benefit their respective industries and fields of study.  Recently, this extraordinary group of young researchers met and attended the SAS Global Forum Conference in Orlando and presented their research.  Merlande Petit-Bois is a 2012 SAS Student Ambassador and this week she shares how she was inspired to dream big at SAS Global Forum.

Merlande Petit-Bois at SGF

Merlande Petit-Bois receives her student ambassador award from Dr. Jim Goodnight at SAS Global Forum

I started using SAS in 2007, never thinking that I would actually become proficient enough to become a SAS Student Ambassador. Wow! It sounds so fancy. So you can just imagine that I was close to terrified at the thought of being at this conference as a SAS Student Ambassador. I had always thought that this must be the conference for all of the SAS experts. The first official day of the conference, Sunday, I was in awe at how warm everyone was.  The conference environment was very welcoming. Receiving the award as an ambassador, I felt honored to represent SAS, my research, and my institution (University of South Florida).  The information that I received as an ambassador was priceless, everything from the “SAS swag” to the inside tips regarding which workshops and seminars to attend.

I loved everything about the conference, from presenting and appreciating others, to being empowered and rejuvenated about my own work and why I began this journey to get my PhD. The part of the conference that resonated most with me was when the vice-president walked us through the birth of SAS. That talk was a true testimony to working hard to accomplish a vision. That talk inspired me to dream, and to dream BIG…to understand that there is much more work to be done, so that one day I can tell about my dream to change education and education policy in America.

Greatly Inspired,
Merlande Petit-Bois, M.A.
Doctoral Candidate
University of South Florida
Measurement, Research, and Evaluation (MRE)

Merlande is an accomplished presenter and regularly attends and presents at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, as well as the Annual Meeting of the American Evaluation Association (AEA).  Look for her at these conferences to learn more about how she's working to change education. Hear more from Merlande on being a SAS Student Ambassador.

To learn more about the SAS Student Ambassador Program and other opportunities for students, visit the SAS Global Academic website

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SESUG is offering student grants to attend the conference: It's time to get your application in

Julie Petlick
Julie Petlick|May 4, 2012

The semester is coming to an end and summer break is just around the corner, so why should you be thinking about conferences and grant opportunities?  Conferences like SESUG provide a lot of great benefits to students.  These conferences are a great source of professional development. They offer workshops and presentations for those with advanced skills as well as those new to SAS who are interested in learning more.  They are also a great place to hone your skills as a presenter.  This is a place students can showcase their work and abilities in front of a large number of potential employers. There will be numerous networking and social events and many of these participants are hiring managers who are interested in meeting recent and upcoming graduates who have the knowledge and skills they are looking for.

The SESUG conference will be held at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center in Durham, North Carolina, October 14-16.  The SESUG Student Grant application process is open now.  There are two levels of support, one of which includes a travel stipend.  This is a great way to build out your resume and network with professionals from a variety of industries.

A message from Deborah Skinner, SESUG Student Grant Coordinator

Students selected for the grant program receive the VIP treatment at our conference.  Grant winners are recognized at the opening session and are guests at a special student luncheon, as well as having special ribbons on their conference badges.  In addition, there are meals and mixers for all of the attendees – so there are plenty of opportunities to mingle and meet.    Previous student grant winners have consistently told us what a wonderful time they had at the conference and what an eye-opening experience it was for them in planning for their future.

I can promise you that you will walk away from SESUG 2012 with new knowledge about SAS, new insights into your future, and lots of new friends and colleagues.    You will have lots of opportunities to learn, grow, and frankly just have a lot of fun.   So what are you waiting for?  The SESUG website contains all of the details and a link to the application.

Learn more and apply now!

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STEM is my dirty little secret

Jenn Sykes
Jenn Sykes|May 1, 2012

I have a dirty little secret: while my degrees are in a "science" they're of the political variety. Given that, how is it that I work at a software company as a technology and analytics consultant?

The truth of the matter is while the diplomas read that I studied government, history and economics, most of my actual studies were in statistics, computer programming and mathematics. The reasons for this are very simple: regardless of what anyone studies, most of it is mixed with STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) nowadays. I managed to take at least three courses in undergrad government on the scientific method and used a history paper that involved financial forecasting as my grad school writing sample. Neither of these examples are what one would typically expect in non-STEM majors, but more and more today the mixing of STEM and the humanities is emerging not only in the classroom but in the real world.

Even at SAS, the job I do would have been regaled to English majors long ago. "Text Analytics" sounds like a fancier way of saying "read this and find the themes," like I had to do all of the time in AP English. Sure, it's basically that, but it's driven by algorithms and statistics instead of by individuals reading everything. It's another great example of how STEM has merged with traditional humanities subjects in our lives.

Everything now has a STEM undercurrent running through to it. There's just no way around it in school or on the job - regardless of the career path that you take. That's why it's in your best interests to get started early. And one way to get started early is to attend meetings in your area to discuss STEM applications and ideas. SAS Users Groups are a great example of meetings where you can get help on STEM problems and learn more about the exciting things people are doing with STEM careers in non-traditional ways. Check out this listing of 2012 US events and scholarship opportunities.

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Carpooling project earns Colombian engineer a SAS® Global Forum student scholarship

Elizabeth Bautista
Elizabeth Bautista|April 27, 2012

With a project based on analytics using SAS solutions, Juan Sebastian Lopez Cubides from Colombia was awarded the SAS® Global Forum Student Scholarship. Cubides received the scholarship at SAS Global Forum 2012 in Orlando.

Juan Sebastian Lopez Cubides was part of a group of students and professors at the University of the Andes in Colombia that created the “Travel Portal,” a carpooling project to improve mobility and reduce pollution in Bogota.

Juan Sebastian Lopez Cubides was part of a group of students and professors at the University of the Andes in Colombia that created the “Travel Portal,” a carpooling project to improve mobility and reduce pollution in Bogota.  Cubides’ thesis, “Data Crunching and Data Mining,” earned him the SAS Student Scholarship Award.

Since he started studying Industrial Engineering, Cubides noted that SAS has been the key solution to solving different problems.

“My thesis is based on the data about the portal operation, where I analyzed the preferences of the economic agents through data mining and data crunching techniques (construction of databases with unstructured information),” he said.

SAS was the high-performance, versatile and flexible solution that helped Cubides analyze data from the project, which is available now to the whole university community - some 15,000 users.

His thesis is based on three analytic models:

  • Optimization model, which considers the shared data and provides mobility to the information to select the driver/passenger for each route.
  • Logistic Regression model that analyzes the preferences of the passengers, so the driver and the passenger can select and decide who they want to travel with.
  • Descriptive Statistical Analysis to analyze usage to determine the incentives and better manage the peak hours.

Today, Cubides is deputy professor of Advanced Statistics at the University of the Andes, where he teaches the main statistical analysis tools (ANOVA and Regression Analysis), emphasizing solutions to current economic problems. He also teaches SAS programming courses to prepare students for the labor market, an outgrowth of his involvement with Beca SAS 2011, a program for Mathematics and Statistics students and graduates who teach platform and analytics topics.

“In the academic field, now I can teach students the unbeatable combination of tools that will provide them with a labor advantage, and SAS is a key tool.”

“Thanks to Beca SAS 2011, I had the chance to visit the offices in Mexico, and get the skills necessary for the labor world, where the data have become the most valuable asset in the organizations,” Cubides said. “In the academic field, now I can teach students the unbeatable combination of tools that will provide them with a labor advantage, and SAS is a key tool.”

Cubides, 21, also has the ASA Designation Candidate of the Society of Actuaries and the Base Programmer for SAS® 9 certification, as well as the expertise in statistics and actuarial science that allowed him to represent his country in the international AIMSS/MOPTA Mathematical Modeling Competition 2010.

His plans include getting additional SAS certifications and teaching statistics in Colombia, and then getting an MBA in analytics and statistics in another country.

 

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SAS Global Forum Academic Reception: SAS CEO Dr. Jim Goodnight, students, faculty

Julie Petlick
Julie Petlick|April 23, 2012

SAS Global Forum is the premier event for SAS professionals around the world.  The conference environment this week is electric and it’s just getting started.  For several students and faculty, the conference started off with an opportunity to meet the CEO of SAS, Dr. Jim Goodnight, who is well-known for his passion and support for education.

The Academic Reception at SAS Global Forum is an event that focuses on topics of particular interest to students and faculty. This year’s event was Fantastic!  Lauren Lake gave a great presentation in which she shared some insights to help students be better prepared to successfully get a job and begin their career after graduation.  Jerry Oglesby shared some of the trends he’s observed within academia and also highlighted the growing demand for students with more advanced analytical skills and how university degree programs are responding to this need.

The highlight of the reception was when Dr. Goodnight spokeDr Goodnight and personally handed out awards to the 18 students who were named this year’s SAS Student Ambassadors and Honorable Mention award winners.  These student researchers were selected as ambassadors because their work exemplifies the use of SAS technologies in innovative ways that benefit their respective fields of study.

This year is especially exciting and unique since it marks the first time high school students have won the award and ambassador title.  You heard right.  Two of the 2012 SAS Student Ambassadors learned SAS programming as part of their high school studies and will be presenting their research in front of a global audience tomorrow. This year’s conference is actually hosting 38 attendees from academia who are here as part of a SAS Global Forum Scholarship.  In addition to the 18 SAS Student Ambassadors, there are 8 Faculty Scholars and 11 Student Scholars that were also recognized at the reception.

Two addtional academic awards were given in recognition of innovation and commitment to Education. The Excellence in Education Award was presented to Western Kentucky University and the SAS Distinguished Professor Award was given to Dr. Jennifer Priestly from Kennesaw State University. The reception was a great opportunity for students and faculty to network and learn from each other.

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Congratulations to the 2012 SAS Student Ambassadors!

Julie Petlick
Julie Petlick|April 18, 2012

The wait is almost over. SAS Global Forum is just around the corner and I can’t wait to get to Orlando and experience all the conference has to offer!  One thing I am particularly excited about is the fact this year’s conference will host 38 students and faculty from academia who are attending as part of some form of SAS Global Forum Scholarship.  Eleven of these scholarship winners are the 2012 SAS Student Ambassadors.  Students from 13 countries applied for the opportunity to be a SAS Student Ambassador.  These student researchers were selected as Ambassadors because their work exemplifies the use of SAS technologies in innovative ways that benefit their respective fields of study.

Meet the 2012 SAS Student Ambassadors!

Philippe Baecke – Ghent University

Aaron Daniels – Cary Academy

Patrick Hall – North Carolina State University

Manoj Immadi – Oklahoma State University

Lori Miller – Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California Davis

Merlande Petit-Bois – University of South Florida

Zubair Shaik – Oklahoma State University

Ryan Snyder – North Carolina State University

Ning Song – Oklahoma State University

Jacob Warwick – Cary Academy

Yi-Fang Wu – University of Iowa

I hope you are heading to SAS Global Forum. If you are, be sure to look for these amazing students and find out more about how they use SAS. Congratulations to this year’s SAS Student Ambassadors!

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Compete in the Data Mining Shootout

Carrie Vetter
Carrie Vetter|April 16, 2012

Once again it is time for the Data Mining Shootout. This competition is now in its sixth year and is a great way for faculty and student teams to showcase their data mining skills. Participants in the Data Mining Shootout will be given a hypothetical, but common business problem to solve. Data will be provided and the solution will require the selection and use of appropriate data mining methods using SAS software. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams and these teams will be recognized at the conference.  The award includes an all-expenses paid trip for one team member and the faculty sponsor to Las Vegas to attend and present at the Analytics 2012 Conference and the universities of the winning teams receive a donation from SAS. The teams will also be featured in external press communications.

The Data Mining Shootout was started in 2006 by Jerry Oglesby and has gained in popularity each year.  More than 30 teams competed last year for the chance to win the shootout. Last year’s winning team was from the University of Central Florida. The second and third place teams were both from Oklahoma State University.

2011 Data Mining Shootout Winners
Are you up for the challenge? Put together a team and register today!

Another great opportunity for students interested in showcasing their analytical skills is the Analytics 2012 Student Poster Contest. Submit an abstract for a chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to the conference!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. Good luck and I look forward to seeing you there!

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So you’ve decided to study STEM

Scott Singer
Scott Singer|April 12, 2012

So you’ve decided to study STEM (science, engineering, technology and math) … where do you go from here?  College can be a bit overwhelming at times, especially when it comes time to focus in and decide what you want to do with the rest of your life. 

This year will be the second SAS Global Forum that I will be attending, and while I may not have as much experience as some of my colleagues, I can say without a doubt that among the many things that SAS Global Forum is, for me it is primarily a learning experience.  I love meeting SAS customers from all over the world and seeing how they use our software.  Whether it’s discovering a new drug or building a safer airplane, I am always amazed at the diversity seen within our user community and how they use SAS.

This diversity is a great thing for any STEM student trying to map out a career path.  In a matter of a few days, you will have the ability to talk with many different people, see how they use SAS in their careers, and then use that information to help you decide what you want to do with your life.  This kind of opportunity is invaluable.

If you will be attending SAS Global Forum, make sure you try to meet at least two people with whom you've never talked with before. I could be one of them, so you only have to find one more. Check out the mixer and other networking opportunities - even lunch and dinner - to make small talk about how others are using SAS where they work and live. You'll be amazed.

If you won't be able to attend this year's SAS Global Forum check out these other opportunities for STEM students. Here's a cool video we made at SAS to inspire students to study STEM.

 

What are you doing in STEM? Will I see you at SAS Global Forum?

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Students, posters, and a free trip to Las Vegas!

Julie Petlick
Julie Petlick|April 5, 2012

Who doesn’t love a free trip to Las Vegas? I would “bet” that some people love it almost as much as they love Analytics!  If you are a student and you are working on a class project, thesis, or dissertation that involves analytics, the Analytics 2012 Student Poster Contest is a great opportunity that you won’t want to miss.

The Analytics 2012 conference will be held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, October 8-9.  Each year this conference offers a Student Poster Contest  to provide students the opportunity to attend a global conference, showcase their analytic skill, and network with other analytic professionals from over 400 organizations spread across 29 countries.  This is the place to find employers looking for graduates with skills in data mining, forecasting, text analytics, operations research and more.

The top six student poster submissions will receive an all-inclusive award package to attend and present their poster at Analytics 2012. The award includes, airfare, hotel, meals, and free conference registration.

The student poster contest is now open and abstracts are being accepted

Applying to the student poster contest is a two-step process.  For the first step, you need to submit  a 250 word abstract that includes a description of how you have used analytics to improve your processes and/or analyze your work.  Abstracts are being accepted now through August 22, 2012. If your abstract is accepted, you will be notified and will then need to submit your finished poster by the due date August 30, 2012.  Posters are judged by committee and winners will be notified by September 7, 2012.

Tips for applying and submitting a poster

  • Main poster and side poster templates are provided and can be downloaded from the poster submission site
  • You are not required to have a side poster
  • Spellcheck your content before you submit

The poster contest website has lots of useful information. analytics conference poster sessionYou can view the list of posters presented at Analytics 2011 and there’s also a link to some successful poster presentation tips.  The end of the semester is just around the corner and the submission due dates are very early in the fall semester so don’t wait.  As you are completing your research this semester, go ahead and submit your abstract and put together your poster.  Good luck and I hope to see you at Analytics 2012!

For questions about the student poster contest, contact Julie.petlick@sas.com

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