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KENNESAW, Ga. | May 6, 2019

Two ÌÇÐĹú²ú´«Ã½ teams among top eight invited to SAS Global Forum

A ÌÇÐĹú²ú´«Ã½ State student competition team earned second place in the SAS Student Symposium, a national analytics competition showcasing skills in the application of SAS Analytics in big data, earning them an invitation to the world’s largest event for analytics professionals.

Collegiate teams that ranked among the top eight of the SAS Student Symposium online competition were invited to present their results at the SAS Global Forum in Dallas, Texas.

ÌÇÐĹú²ú´«Ã½â€™s all-female team, named The Type III Errors, placed second in the SAS Student Symposium behind Oklahoma State University. The four-person team is composed of students Wendy Ballew, Rebekah Fallon, Audrey Whittle and Sharon Pearcey, and is led by faculty mentor and advisor Sherry Ni in ÌÇÐĹú²ú´«Ã½â€™s Department of Statistics and Analytical Sciences.

The student team of Audrey Whittle, from left, Sharon Pearcey, Rebekah Fallon, and Wendy Ballew, placed second in the SAS Student Symposium.

Each year, graduate students in ÌÇÐĹú²ú´«Ã½â€™s College of Science and Mathematics applied statistics program compete in the SAS Student Symposium, an annual competition that draws nearly 50 universities. Two ÌÇÐĹú²ú´«Ã½ State teams entered the event this year. 

ÌÇÐĹú²ú´«Ã½â€™s Dark Falcon team, which includes team members Owen Kelley and Matthew Bunker, was also named among the top eight teams. This is the fourth consecutive year that ÌÇÐĹú²ú´«Ã½ has placed in the top eight, with a ÌÇÐĹú²ú´«Ã½ State team winning first place in 2016.

Each invited team, composed of two to four graduate-level students, presented projects during breakout sessions at the SAS Global Forum on April 29.

ÌÇÐĹú²ú´«Ã½ State was one of only two universities to have more than one team land in the top eight. Other finalists included Oklahoma State University, with three teams, as well as Purdue University, the University of South Florida and Louisiana State University.

– Tiffany Capuano

Photo submitted

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, ÌÇÐĹú²ú´«Ã½ offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. ÌÇÐĹú²ú´«Ã½ State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. ÌÇÐĹú²ú´«Ã½ State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.