Data Analytics Engineering

Through NSF funding, graduate students and community partners find novel solutions to public health problems

Sarah Holland — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 16:18:40 +0000

Through NSF funding, graduate students and community partners find novel solutions to public health problems Sarah Holland Fri, 06/21/2024 - 12:18

One of the ways ��AV is All Together Different is its approach to research. Students in the Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interactions (CASBBI) NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program learn how to apply interdisciplinary, community-focused research to find solutions to the world’s grand challenges.

2023-24 NRT cohort members. Photo by Sarah Holland

Since the program began in 2019 with the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the NRT Program has bought together graduate students from engineering, data science, and social science for one-year fellowships. Students work in multidisciplinary teams of other fellows and community partners to define a problem within the community and co-develop creative solutions. Thus far, 82 graduate students have participated in the five cohorts.

“No one is doing this level of interdisciplinary convergence,” explained Samuel Acuña, research professor in the Department of Bioengineering and assistant director of CASBBI. “You'll see other programs with, say, mechanical engineers working with electrical engineers, but we have groups with computer scientists, social workers, and linguists working together. Psychologists, engineers, and neuroscientists. It’s novel.”

In the program, students are assigned to groups and matched with community partners working to solve public health problems. The groups work with these partners to establish a project that will best meet their needs: This could be anything from data collection to mobile application development to further developing the work of the previous cohort.

Some groups have even continued their work long after their time in the program concludes; iConnect, an app to connect those suffering from substance abuse to local resources and support, continues beyond the program with their community partner The Chris Atwood Foundation.

“To have, say, a computer science student work with the community and think about people and problems in a way they wouldn’t otherwise, that’s the type of experience that they can draw on for years and years to come,” Acuña said. “The fellowship helps them think more deliberately about how they approach their research through a toolbox of techniques. So, when they’re done, they can approach any issue or problem they might be assigned from this perspective.”

Community-centered and human-centered research is a big draw for some NRT fellows. Morgan Lamarre, BA Dance ’22, BS Bioengineering ’24, master’s student in bioengineering and a member of the 2024-25 cohort, said, “Many of us hope that our careers are in community-facing work, so to have these skills and experience in engaging with the community will be really helpful. And these methods are different from what we see in our classrooms and labs.”

“As engineers, we’re often given a problem to solve how we want and how we think is best without input from the community, and there’s a bit of mistrust between the overall community and the scientific community as a result,” said Kirubel Tadesse, BS Bioengineering ’24, current master’s student in data analytics engineering and incoming cohort member. “But through this method, we’re actively engaging with the community and stakeholders to ensure that our designs are meeting their specific needs. We’re bridging that gap.”

2023-24 Team FIRE (First-responers, Innovation, Research, and Exploration) presents their research at NRT orientation. Photo by Sarah Holland

“It’s a completely new way for us to approach our work,” said Brady Stinson-Smith, master’s student in bioengineering, and fellow member of the incoming cohort. “We can be so siloed in our fields, but this program helps us make the connections between not only the community, but also with researchers in other fields like sociology, psychology, and social work who can help us think better and differently about our approaches and solutions.”

This is the philosophy upon which the NRT program is built. “No one field is enough to solve these problems,” said Acuña. “The leaders of tomorrow need to know how to navigate across multiple disciplines and groups of stakeholders in order to create impactful change.”

“We all come from different approaches,” said Yosef Shaul, PhD student in kinesiology and 2023-24 cohort member. Shaul was a member of team VIRTUE (Violence Intervention and Resolution through Unifying Efforts), focused on addressing barriers to domestic violence prevention and management in Northern Virginia. “Everyone brings their own advantages and attributes. It makes the whole greater.”

Now that he has completed the fellowship, Shaul plans to adjust his research process for his PhD to incorporate more community-centered practices. “My outcomes,” he said, “will now better meet community needs.”

See how CASBBI works to change the world

Topics

Research

Students

graduate students

Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interactions

National Science Foundation

College of Engineering and Computing

Department of Bioengineering

Dance

Data Analytics Engineering

School of Kinesiology

Strategic Direction

“Always Ready, Always There”: Mason graduate student named the top ROTC Cadet in the nation

Sarah Holland — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 14:36:12 +0000

“Always Ready, Always There”: Mason graduate student named the top ROTC Cadet in the nation Sarah Holland Wed, 02/14/2024 - 09:36

Bryan Vega never expected that, at 33 years old, he would be named the number one Army ROTC Cadet in the country.

But if Vega, a graduate student in ��AV’s College of Engineering and Computing working toward his master’s in data analytics engineering, has learned anything from his lengthy career, it’s that he can never count himself out.

Photo provided.

Vega’s path starts with a dream: to become an Army officer. He enlisted in the Army National Guard almost 15 years ago and pursued his undergraduate degree at The Ohio State University while enrolled in their ROTC program. Degree planning is an important component of being commissioned as an officer upon graduation; switching majors made it difficult for Vega to meet the required standards within the few months prior to graduating.

After earning his undergraduate degree, he continued his work with the Army National Guard, first with Florida (FLARNG) and then with Virginia (VAARNG). “It was all about timing,” Vega said of the wait to become an officer. “Everything happens for a reason, so I was just waiting for the right opportunity to take that next step toward being commissioned as an officer.”

In 2018, Vega was accepted into the newly formed 91st Cyber Brigade, the Army National Guard’s first, and only, cyber brigade. “I had developed an interest in the coding, data science, and artificial intelligence side of things during my work in military intelligence with the Army National Guard and in my civilian career developing and integrating artificial intelligence/machine learning and cyber solutions to both public and private sector,” he said. “The Cyber Brigade felt like the right move.”

It was. The connections he made in the 91st encouraged him to pursue commissioning through ROTC, for which he was still eligible. “I decided to knock two things out at once: officer status and a master’s degree. Mason had both a good ROTC program and a strong artificial intelligence and machine-learning education pipeline.”

So how does one become the number one ROTC cadet in the nation? Through the Order of Merit List (OML), which ranks every cadet via a points system. Throughout the year, Army ROTC Cadets earn points in different categories for various activities and accomplishments. These categories—such as physical fitness, GPA, athletics, extracurriculars, and employment status—have varying weights and point values within those categories. For example, extracurricular involvement overall is not weighted as heavily as GPA and STEM academic alignment (also known as degree pathway), so leading multiple clubs won’t necessarily balance out a low GPA.

At the end of the Army fiscal year, the points are tabulated, and every ROTC cadet across the nation is ranked based on their overall accessions point value, creating the OML. OML rank is more than just an achievement: higher ranking cadets on the OML will have a higher chance of receiving their first pick of branch preference upon commissioning.

“I was surprised. Shocked, honestly,” Vega said, of the announcement that he ranked number one. “I’m not as fit as my younger members; I didn't think I had a chance. It just goes to show what you can accomplish with the right support."

That refrain of support was critical to Vega’s success: not only the support he received, but the support he was able to provide.

Mason’s ROTC program, Vega said, has supported him and his commitments to full-time employment with his civilian career as Lead Data Scientist (AI/ML), part-time with the National Guard, his growing family, and his rigorous graduate studies. As a university renowned for providing veterans with quality education, Mason’s support of post-traditional students in ROTC is yet another testament to the university’s commitment to inclusive and accessible education and career opportunities.

“Having been in ROTC at another institution, I can say that Mason ROTC’s flexibility and adaptability is incredible. And my advisor in CEC has worked hard to find classes for me that will make sure I complete the degree on time while being able to work full-time and fulfill all my duties as a cadet, a husband, a father, and a member of the VAARNG.”

And for Vega, he paid that support forward through his own informal mentoring of the other cadets. “Being further along in life, I had a lot I could teach them. And the commissioned and noncommissioned officers in our program encouraged that transfer of knowledge. It helped all of us, me learning from them and them learning from me.”

Vega looks forward to walking across the stage at Spring Commencement 2024 with his peers, with a plan to finish his degree over the summer. His future, hopefully as a soon-to-be commissioned officer, is bright.

Start your own journey with the College of Engineering and Computing

Learn more about George Mason Army ROTC

The future at Fuse: Data analytics

Teresa Donnellan — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 19:50:50 +0000

The future at Fuse: Data analytics Teresa Donnellan Mon, 02/13/2023 - 14:50

In This Story

James Baldo

Bernard Schmidt

Kenneth Comer

Mason Square is home to data analytics classes from several College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) departments. This makes it promising locale for ��AV’s multidisciplinary Data Analytics Engineering Program. The Data Analytics Engineering master of science program is the second largest in CEC, with more than 700 students enrolled in classes across three Mason campuses. Currently, three sections of the capstone course DAEN 690 meet at Mason Square.

“Mason Square is a perfect place to hold courses, especially for individuals who are returning students or lifelong learning adults, who are government employees or contractors,” says interim program director Bernard Schmidt.

Starting with the Fall 2023 semester, Schmidt said the goal is to schedule as many sections of DAEN courses, including the capstone course, at Mason Square as is offered at the Fairfax Campus.

“This offers the greatest opportunity to not only maximize the utilization of Mason Square, but it also offers more course availability options as a way to encourage those returning students and lifelong learning adults located in Northern Virginia to apply to the DAEN program and enroll in DAEN program courses,” he says.

Students can earn an MS in Data Analytics Engineering or a certificate in Data Analytics. Both options require core classes in applied information technology, computer science, operations research, and statistics. The master’s further includes a capstone data analytics project and a concentration in a specialized technical area. Currently, students can choose from 13 different concentrations ranging from health data analytics to financial engineering.

Ken Comer, who teaches the core course OR 531 Analytics and Decision Analysis, says these students’ aim is to develop the types of tools that do the data analytic work for a client and consistently provide meaningful and useful results.

“The engineer designs. It's someone else who operates, so in order to get there, of course, the students have to learn the techniques that they're going to have [in order] to create as the engineer,” he says, citing the three techniques that can be embedded in a data analytic tool: optimization, simulation, and data analysis.

The study of data analytics is more than simply using data visualization tools, Comer says. He notes one problem with data science can be that the scientist gives the client copious insights into the client’s data, but the client may not actually feel helped in deciding.

“[Students] get a lot of tools in how to curate data, how to manipulate it, store it, move it around, secure it, and a variety of other things,” says Comer, “But this is the only class where they get to … learn how to create a useful product out of the data—something that would help somebody, that is important for somebody who has to make a decision.”

In his syllabus, Comer explains, “Every problem we will work will be focused on the allocation of resources or some other important decision that might be experienced in the course of business, industry, or government operations. Some examples are: If I’m offered additional resources, how much should I pay for them? What is the mix of production decisions that maximizes profit? What sequence should I use for a multi-step process? How much should I save to ensure an 80% chance of having a set sum at retirement?”

He further writes, “In order to receive proper credit, you will need to answer the question at hand. Your boss or your customer cannot be expected to search around your spreadsheet for the numerical answer.”

James Baldo, the program director currently on sabbatical, says he is excited that working students at Mason Square might be able to apply their newly acquired skills immediately in the workplace. “It's going to be a hub of industry partnerships down there with the university,” he predicts.

Topics

College of Engineering and Computing

Data Analytics Engineering

Campus News

Avyuct brings clarity to data

Rena Malai — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 15:54:54 +0000

Avyuct brings clarity to data Rena Malai Mon, 02/21/2022 - 10:54

Rajesh Aggarwal, adjunct professor of data analytics engineering in the College of Engineering and Computing at ��AV, has always been fascinated by data.

“I’ve been working with data science for a long time,” says Aggarwal. “I was working on data models on my own, and decided it was an opportunity to create a company around it.”

Combining his data science training with AI and machine learning, Aggarwal started Avyuct in 2017. A Sanskrit word meaning ‘crystal clear' he says the tagline of Avyuct is exactly that—bringing crystal clear clarity to data.

“At Avyuct we build models using data science techniques and work with small satellite coordination, object detection, and anomaly detection,” Aggarwal says.

Anomaly detection---which tracks any unusual discrepancies in data—is used by a variety of industries, says Aggarwal. It’s a practical tool for targeting underlying issues within a product, concept, or project and it can be a key factor in avoiding problems and determining the best solutions.

“Anomaly detection is used by pharmaceutical companies to detect defective pills, tech companies to detect security threats, manufacturing industries to detect machine defects…it’s also an important tool to incorporate in the area of data science,” he says.

“Right now, we have a couple interesting projects,” Aggarwal says. “We are working to develop the coordination of small satellites for optimal data collection on the ground, and an anomaly detection model.”

Avyuct started as a part-time venture for Aggarwal, as he explored through data concept models in his spare time. Today, the company has grown to include full- time employees, and when space and time allows, interns.

Aggarwal plans to recruit interns during summer 2022 at Avyuct. Those interested in the opportunity can check any open positions on the Mason career portal.

For more information on Avyuct, visit https://avyuct.com.

Topics

data

data analytics

College of Engineering and Computing

Data Analytics Engineering

Confronting and combatting algorithm bias at CoNECD conference

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 12:19:31 +0000

Confronting and combatting algorithm bias at CoNECD conference Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/24/2021 - 08:19

In This Story

James Baldo

Algorithms help us make hard decisions every day. Credit card companies, job boards, and more use fast-thinking algorithms to fairly decipher who fits their chosen criteria. But sometimes, they aren’t always as fair as they appear.

At the annual Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity (CoNECD) conference in January, the Director of the MS Data Analytics Engineering program, James Baldo, presented how algorithm biases arise and where data analysts and algorithm creators could make changes to increase fairness.

“I looked at algorithm bias from a high-level technical perspective to show the audience that yes, algorithms can be biased, but that there is more to it than a yes or no analysis,” says Baldo.

There are numerous aspects of algorithms that could hold bias. The data used for the algorithm, the core of the algorithm itself, and even the people interpreting the algorithm’s data could be where bias sneaks into the decision-making process, says Baldo.

“Algorithms use artificial intelligence and are designed by computational data that may have an inherent and unintentional bias,” he says. “Employment decisions are a good example. If an algorithm is using a sample of data to sift through applicants for a software engineering job that doesn’t include many women, the algorithm could unintentionally sift women out.”

Baldo says there have been numerous studies on algorithm bias. Still, he shared his thoughts at the conference because he felt it was important for conference attendees to understand algorithm bias’s root causes.

“One slide I presented discussed how we achieve fairness with algorithms. We need to look at the data and try and detect biases in it. We can train people who interpret the data and educate them on the best practices,” says Baldo. “I mainly wanted my presentation to raise awareness, and I wanted to take some of the mystery out of algorithms.”

From a data perspective, Baldo works to embed these best practices into the data analytics engineering program. “We are trying to embed education on the effects of algorithm bias into the MS program. Since it is an interdisciplinary program, we have to work together to figure out how to do that collaboratively.”

Baldo sees algorithm bias awareness and prevention as crucial for building the data analytics workforce. “The social fabric of this is very important, and we have a responsibility as engineers to address it, and this was a start.”

Topics

Data Analytics Engineering

data analytics

algorithm bias

Bernard Schmidt

Martha Bushong — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 15:13:58 +0000

Bernard Schmidt Martha Bushong Wed, 09/09/2020 - 11:13

Instructor, Assistant Director MS Data Analytics Engineering Program

Contact Information

Campus: Fairfax
Building: Research Hall
Room 368
Mail Stop: 6B1

Email: bschmid5@gmu.edu

In the News

The future at Fuse: Data analytics
February 13, 2023

Biography

Bernard Schmidt is an Instructor at ��AV’s College of Engineering and Computing, Data Analytics Engineering master's program. He is also the Assistant Director of the MS Data Analytics Engineering Program. He joined Mason’s CEC Faculty in the Fall of 2020 from Northern Virginia Community College where he served as a professor of Information Technology as well as an Assistant Dean for Information Technology and Computer Science at the NVCC Manassas campus.

Schmidt was involved with computing and the computing industry for over 35 years prior to joining academia. His early career involved computer operations and programming of IBM mainframes, which then led to researching computer image processing algorithms for multi-sensor-aided target recognition at the Army’s Night Vision Lab. He has subsequently held progressive technology and management positions at a variety of organizations in Northern Virginia including Oracle Complex Systems, Cordant, IBM, ORBCOMM, Sprint, Battelle, and Prison Fellowship Ministries.

In addition to teaching and mentoring, Schmidt has extensive experience in the project management of complex projects ranging from software development to systems and infrastructure engineering.

Degrees

MS, Data Analytics Engineering, ��AV
MS, Applied Information Technology, ��AV
BS, Computer Science, ��AV
AS, Data Processing and Accounting, Champlain College

Isaac Gang

Martha Bushong — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 18:39:40 +0000

Isaac Gang Martha Bushong Mon, 08/10/2020 - 14:39

Associate Professor, Data Analytics Engineering

Contact Information

Phone: 703-993-6549
Campus: Fairfax
Building: Nguyen Engineering Building
Room 3241

In the News

Biography

Isaac Gang is an Associate Professor in the College of Engineering and Computing, MS Data Analytics Program at ��AV. He joined the CEC faculty in the Fall of 2020 from Texas A&M University-Commerce where he served as an assistant professor of computer science as well as the department’s outreach coordinator. Before coming to TAMUC, Gang was an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and an adjunct professor of computer science at the University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Computing before joining UMHB. His current and primary teaching responsibilities at Mason largely involves data analytics graduate capstones and a mix of computer science and applied information technology courses.

Gang is a former DOE grant winner, president, and board member of the Association of Computer Educators in Texas (ACET), Industry Advisory Board (IAB) coordinator, and the director of CS for all. His primary research agenda involves big data/analytics, cybersecurity (ransomware and steganography), and image/signal processing.

Degrees

PhD, Computational Science, University of Southern Mississippi
Master of Science, Computer Science, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Bachelor of Science, Computer Science, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

James Baldo

admin_alpha — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 23:24:01 +0000

James Baldo admin_alpha Tue, 10/20/2015 - 19:24

Associate Professor, Director of Master of Science in Data Analytics Engineering Program

Contact Information

Phone: 703-993-5313
Campus: Fairfax
Building: Research Hall
Mail Stop: 6B1
Email: jbaldo@gmu.edu

Biography

James Baldo's engineering career has provided him with a broad foundation of knowledge and experience in engineering systems responsible for detecting, identifying, tracking, and predicting the behavior of objects based on multiple sources of data. The environment that Baldo works in has been greatly affected by big data which has resulted in utilizing new technologies and analytical methods. Baldo’s engineering team leadership skills have been instrumental in interacting with business owner needs and expectations as well as managing, galvanizing, and synergizing teams of talented engineers.

Baldo’s experience as a practicing engineer has provided him with a great appreciation for educating engineers with a solid foundation in mathematics, science, statistics, and engineering. As an instructor Baldo packages theory and practice in his courses to prepare students for addressing real-world problems.

Degrees

PhD, Information Technology, ��AV
MS, Computer Engineering, University of South Florida
MS, Chemistry, University of Toledo
BS, Chemistry, Adrian College

Data Analytics Adds Classes in Arlington

dallen21 — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 20:12:26 +0000

Data Analytics Adds Classes in Arlington dallen21 Mon, 11/03/2014 - 15:12

To increase access and availability for our students, we will be offering classes at Mason's Arlington Campus for students enrolled in the MS in Data Analytics Engineering. Beginning in January 2015 we will offer AIT 580, OR 531, and STAT 515 in Arlington. The campus is located on Fairfax Blvd. and is convenient to the Metro's Virginia Square (GMU) station on the Orange and Silver Lines. To register for classes visit our website.

Data Analytics Engineering

Through NSF funding, graduate students and community partners find novel solutions to public health problems

See how CASBBI works to change the world

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“Always Ready, Always There”: Mason graduate student named the top ROTC Cadet in the nation

Start your own journey with the College of Engineering and Computing

Learn more about George Mason Army ROTC

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Confronting and combatting algorithm bias at CoNECD conference

In This Story

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Bernard Schmidt

Contact Information

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Degrees

Isaac Gang

Contact Information

In the News

Biography

Degrees

James Baldo

Contact Information

Biography

Degrees

Data Analytics Adds Classes in Arlington