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Eight faculty were awarded tenure. Clockwise from top left, Matthew Chao, economics; Jos Constantine, geosciences; Christophe Kon, German; Joel Lee, anthropology; Ralph Morrison 10, mathematics; Justin Shaddock, philosophy; Daniel Turek, statistics. Aaron Williams, computer science is in the center. (Gabe Miller/The Williams Record)

The Board of Trustees approved the promotion of eight assistant professors to associate professorships with tenure at its Jan. 21 meeting: Matthew Chao, economics; Jos Constantine, geosciences; Christophe Kon, German; Joel Lee, anthropology; Ralph Morrison 10, mathematics; Justin Shaddock, philosophy; Daniel Turek, statistics; and Aaron Williams, computer science. These appointments will take effect on July 1.

At the College, the tenure track is on a seven-year schedule. Typically, professors begin with a three-year assistant professorship, with the possibility of reappointment for a four-year term. If they are reappointed, a professors tenure decisions will be made by the Committee on Appointments and Promotions (CAP) and approved by the Board of Trustees during the third year of their four-year term. According to the Faculty Handbook, the College evaluates professors for tenure on the basis of their teaching, as measured through student course surveys and peer evaluations, and their scholarship, as measured by department appraisals and solicited outside reviews. CAP also considers professors departmental and community service, in addition to structural considerations which include shifting student interests, the number and age of tenured faculty in the department, the Colleges overall staffing needs, and budgetary considerations.

In separate interviews with the Record, both Shaddock and Constantine described the tenure process as transparent. Every year you get a report on how youve been doing, Shaddock said. I think thats whats been good about it. Its like youre not in the dark about how youre doing and you know all throughout the years leading up to the decision how youre doing.

Matthew Chao, economics

Now a behavioral economist, Chao did not know where his academic career would lead while he was an undergraduate at Dartmouth. I didnt declare my econ major until my senior year, he said. I was a psych-neuro pre-med student until then.

Behavior economics has allowed him to combine psychology and economics. What I do is still very psychology oriented, Chao said, But I study it through an economics framework, using utility functions and thinking about aggregating up to markets, things that economists think about, but also studying the same psychological motives that influence individual decision making.

Before coming to Williams, Chao was a researcher at Harvard Business School and received his doctorate from the California Institute of Technology. At Williams, Chao appreciates getting to know his students and the passion for learning they bring. I cant imagine teaching in a place where the students are disinterested, dont come to office hours, either just want the grade or dont even care about the grade, he said.

In addition to teaching behavioral economics, he also teaches intro-level microeconomics. In both senior seminars and introductory level classes, Chao enjoys having the ability to teach his students a new way to approach how people think and behave. I like the intro course because I feel like Im introducing students to how economists think and how economists view the world, Chao said. In my senior seminaryoure teaching students who have a lot of background [in economics], but now youre saying, well, theres an alternative way of modeling decisions that brings more psychology into it.

Jos Constantine, geosciences

From a young age, Constantine has been drawn to studying the environment. I grew up in the coastal plain of Virginia so coastal habitats have always been a real interest for me, he said.

As an undergraduate at the College of William and Mary, Constantine pursued his interest a step further, studying Geology. His time at William and Mary inspired him to come to a liberal arts college like Williams where he could be a part of those experiences for other students. Constantine then received his doctorate from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Teaching courses such as Global Warming and Environmental Change, Geomorphology, and Mastering GIS, Constantine tries to incorporate themes of environmental justice into the classroom. Working alongside Professor of Africana studies James A. Manigault-Bryant, Constantine organizes an on-campus environmental justice collective. They are involved in pollution and flooding research in communities ranging from the Berkshires to Tallevast, Fla., and Centreville, Ill.

He is currently working on a research paper about the resilience to climate change of tidal marshes along the New England coast with Michael Armstrong 21, one of his former thesis students, and Professor of biology Allision Gill.

Christophe Kon, German

Kon was drawn to German studies by an appreciation of German-speaking art and culture. After earning his masters degree from Universite Lumiere Lyon 2, he went on to receive a doctorate in German from Rutgers University for research centering on the modern role of dolls in German visual art. This passion for Germanic art persists in his work today with the upcoming release of his book Uncanny Creatures: Doll Thinking in German Culture, along with research centered on portraiture during the Dutch Golden Age.

Kon especially values working with students, writing to the Record that he cherishes the interaction and the exchange of ideas with intelligent students at the College. I am happy that the stress and the pressure of the tenure process is now behind me, he wrote. I feel relieved and excited that my work was valued and recognized by the institution.

Joel Lee, anthropology

Before coming to the College, Lee received a bachelors degree from Kenyon College, and doctoral and masters degrees from Columbia University.

Lees research focuses on the experiences of Dalits a caste-defined community historically referenced as untouchables and other marginalized groups in post-colonial South Asia, looking at how the Dalit identity intersects with modern political movements and religious doctrines.

In the past, Lee has taught courses in the anthropology department such as Caste, Race, Hierarchy. This semester he is teaching How To Be Human and Sensing Society.

Lee has written numerous scholarly works on the South Asian caste system, including Deceptive Majority: Dalits, Hinduism, and Underground Religion, published by the Cambridge University Press last year.

Ralph Morrison, mathematics

Morrison, a Williams alum, became interested in math after taking Multivariable Calculus with Professor Susan Loepp at the College. In his teaching, Morrison draws from his own experience as a student. I needed a quote that described what abstract algebra is because thats the course Im teaching, so I flipped back to my 2008 notebook and was like, What did [Professor] Ed Burger say?, Morrison said.

Morrison said that he enjoys helping students take ownership of the material, especially in his upper-level classes. [W]hen Im doing an upper-level elective I can go in whatever direction feels right, he said. I dont have to think to myself I better prove this theorem because Professor So-and-so is going to draw on that and instead I can expand on the material in whatever direction the students are excited by.

Over the summer, Morrison works in SMALL, a nine-week undergraduate research program hosted by the Colleges math department.

Justin Shaddock, philosophy

Shaddocks interest in philosophy began in high school while reading about existentialism for an English class. The questions they were asking, like what makes life meaningful just really grabbed me, he said.

As an undergraduate student at Notre Dame, Shaddock pursued his existentialist interests with a class taught by a professor who turned out to be, as Shaddock noted, one of the worlds best Kant scholars. Today, Shaddock specializes in Kant.

One of Shaddocks favorite parts about teaching at the College has been advising student research. Ive had a handful of students who have taken a class with me and then wanted to do some kind of summer research or senior thesis project, and thats always been really stimulating, he said.

This semester, harkening back to his own undergraduate philosophy journey, Shaddock is teaching two courses, one in existentialism and one in Kants ethics. Its super fun teaching existentialism for me, because this is how I got into it, he said. These are the questions that grabbed me and made me think this is worth doing with your life. So its really cool, especially when I have students for whom this is like the first or second philosophy class theyve ever taken.

Daniel Turek, statistics

Tureks interests in math and computer science led him to study statistics at the University of Otago in New Zealand. When I looked into PhD programs, there was a great opportunity in the Department of Statistics at the University of Otago in New Zealand how could I say no? he wrote in an email to the Record. It was the perfect application of my background, and an outlet for doing what I enjoy. Since I moved into statistics, although I have a huge love for pure mathematics, Ive never looked back.

The most rewarding aspect of teaching is the connection with students, he wrote. It makes my day when students get in touch several years later, to let me know how theyre doing and that they appreciated my classes and their time at Williams.

When he is not teaching, Turek develops widely-used statistical software for performing Bayesian analysis and conducts research into creating highly efficient algorithms for fitting Bayesian models.

Aaron Williams, computer science

Williams interest in computers started at age six by using a Commodore VIC 20. You could type in programs from books, or magazines and try running them I did that a little bit when I was young, he said. Fast forward to college and I was in my first algorithms course and that was a moment that really sealed my future.

Williams tries to bring that sense of problem-solving fun to the classroom, harkening back to classes he enjoyed in college. I like having assignments that feel a little bit like adventures, he said. I certainly had that feeling in the better courses that I took as an undergrad where itd be me and some friends working together. They were often late at night trying to puzzle through this assignment question.

Receiving tenure for Williams was a great relief. For myself as a Canadian, if I didnt get tenure, Id have to leave the country, he said. Williams doesnt come with the issue of trying to motivate the students, the students are already motivated, and theyre already able to do sobut theres a lot of evaluation I dont think students understand or have any awareness of how in detail all this evaluation stuff goes.

More here:

College awards tenure to eight faculty members The Williams Record - The Williams record

Alternative breaks are back in person at UB, and for Puja Shah, it was the best part of winter break.

I wouldrecommendthat every student interested in community service, regardless of their major, participate in an alternative break, says Shah, a junior accounting major.

After going virtual last year due to COVID-19, the volunteer service program resumed in person in January, as a 12-member team of UB students engaged in service across Buffalo during their last week of winter break.

The theme: refugee resettlement.

From sorting through donations to curating welcome kits for families, the students spent the week immersed in the refugee community, assisting agencies likeJourneys End Refugee Services, Stitch Buffalo and Jewish Family Services, which help refugees from around the world make a new home in Buffalo.

Rufus Nguyen-McDowell, a senior majoring in industrial and systems engineering, took part to honor his familys legacy. His fathers family escaped the fall of Saigon, which is why the struggle of refugees hits close to home for him.

We helped by lending many hands, getting big projects done quickly, Nguyen-McDowell says. With Stitch Buffalo, we did lots of support work, sorting sewing tools, stuffing pillowcases and cutting out hundreds of the felt hearts used for Stitch Buffalos signature Buffalove pin.

Harley Le, a junior pharmaceutical sciences major, called the experience inspiring. Sorting items and preparing welcome kits helped Le understand the dignity of the resettlement process. The time spent at Stitch Buffalo, where female refugees share their feelings and create artistic handmade products, also helped Le realize the importance of mental wellness during the resettlement process.

As an international student, the Alternative Break program has helped me feel a sense of belonging in the UB and Buffalo community, says Vrushaali Nagaraj, a freshman computer science major. I was able to explore various parts of Buffalo and learn about how refugee resettlement organizations help refugee families start anew in Buffalo.

Countering the traditional college spring break, the alternative break program has a strong history at UB.

The program boasts as many as five service trips a year, starting annually in August with ReadySetBuffalo! designed to help in-coming UB students earn about the local community, says Rachel DiDomizio, assistant director for community and civic engagement.

Its really a deep dive into Buffalo and learning about the overarching history of the community and the social justice issues that are most prominent in our community, DiDomizio says.

A second service trip is scheduled during winter break and three more are held during spring break. Each have different themes that can change over the years along with national trends and student interests. Traditionally, the trips are outside of Buffalo.

UBs alternative breaks have ranged from hurricane relief in Long Island to wetland restoration in Louisiana, from building homes in Virginia to alleviating poverty in Cleveland.

Last year, UBs alternative breaks continued through the pandemic but were forced to move online. The program focused more on service training with the help of social justice organizations.

This year, UBs alternative break returned in person on Jan. 24, but remained close to home during the pandemic. DiDomizio and Hannah Giarrizzo, lead coordinator, spent the fall readying the students for their experience over winter break.

Students dont just do the service work, DiDomizio explains. After every activity we take time to reflect and we talk about what they took away from the experience, what surprised them, what they learned, things they observed and what themes or skills they might be able to apply in their classrooms and future jobs.

The reflection part is very intentional, she says.

Shah enjoyed making connections with UB staff and appreciated the personal growth that the trip provided. But the experience also was just plain fun, Shah says.

I have so many favorite moments from that week, and all of them revolve around how much fun we had together from car rides to service sites, where we passed around control over the music, to eating our meals together and just venting about the upcoming semester, Shah says.

Besides, Shah, Nguyen-McDowell, Le and Nagaraj, participants included Devyani Budhnarain, Alaina Bailey, Collin Gaylord, Shivani Nayak, Qamar Saitovski, Vaishaili Gupta, Sarah Leveque and Bao Ly.

I am definitely looking forward to continuing my involvement with these organizations and Student Engagement in the future,Shah says.

The program continues in Buffalo during spring break, March 21-25. One will focus on civic engagement, another on environmental justice and the third on poverty alleviation in Buffalo.

Students interested in applying for the program next year can reach out to Student Engagement.

Read the rest here:

Students learn about refugee resettlement during alternative break - UB Now: News and views for UB faculty and staff - University at Buffalo Reporter

Fostering innovation, providing deep insights, and creating new services and opportunities, data professionals today are highly valued by businesses. Data scientists and data architects can create automated systems for gathering data in real time, refining it into actionable findings, and putting information to work in new ways that ultimately serve customers better and allow your business to grow. Here, we list the data-professional jobs that are most sought after in the Middle East today, how to hire for them, and what the roles typically pay.

The rapid growth of data processing and technology such as machine learning have created a sharp rise in the demand for data professionals in both the public and private sector. LinkedIn, for example, found that tech hires in the Middle East increased by 61% in 2020, and data scientist was the UAEs fastest-growing role in 2019 with a 46% increase in demand. The 2021 Coursera Global Skills Report identifies data visualisation as an area with the greatest growth potential for Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria, with a global market value projection of $5.17 billion by 2026.

Industries like financial services, healthcare, and entertainment are increasingly seeking data engineers with skills required like statistical modelling and data visualisation. However, finding staff equipped data skills can prove to be a challenge for business leaders. The Coursera report found that professionals in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Kuwait, and Qatar excelled in business skills but lagged behind in the field of data science.

Its never been about just finding any candidate that fits the bill, says Manpreet Kaur, senior consultant for data for Michael Page Middle East, which supports companies in finding high-quality data professionals. Weve come to understand the investment a business makes and the risk associated with a data hire, where the ROI or cost might be borne longer than other hires On the flip side, good investments speak for themselves we also appreciate the level of impact and the significant value that a data hire can offer a business.

Building the right data team requires a strategic approach and in some cases, a shift in business mindset. Data is the new kid on the recruitment block that every company in the Middle East is curious about. The rapidly-growing sector has created enough buzz for companies to desire shiny new data departments, but do they know what they want their newly-formed data capabilities to achieve? The important question for any business right now is how data can solve their real-time business problems. The answer to this will be unique to each business and so a one-size-fits-all approach doesnt work, Kaur says.

Preparation is also key, as some companies lack the necessary infrastructure to support a data team. Today, most businesses in the Middle East tend to build their data capability out of a fear of missing out for example, maybe a rival is investing heavily in their own data agenda or perhaps out of compulsion, either to keep pace with the wider adoption of data in the region or even led by the government. Any business that is looking to invest in or build their data capability should do so with serious forethought and planning. Do they have the right technology or infrastructure in place? asks Kaur. Have they looked at building their data governance frameworks, and has the quality of data been assessed? Do we want to hire a data scientist and expect them to define the data quality rules?

Intellectual honesty amongst data leaders is essential here. Running a true assessment of where the business is with their data-readiness currently creates a stronger and more accurate foundation of what they need to be doing next, whether its related technology or talent. Retaining talent becomes a big challenge in a market like the Middle East. Data professionals may not be willing to invest time and effort in a business that isnt ready for them. Good talent will be poached by companies with a healthier and more mature data culture. The honesty when designing the job description reveals much about the companys data attitude while setting the tone for the rest of the hiring process.

Here are the top five data roles in the Middle East today, with insights about their salaries from Glassdoor and Robert Walters.

300,000 420,000 AED (US$81,000-US$114,000)

Investing in data engineers helps build a more scalable infrastructure to support all data department needs, Kaur says. Focusing on creation and improvement, data engineers design and develop the foundational systems that allow data scientists and data analysts to do their job. They manage databases and pipelines, integrate new datasets when necessary, create APIs, and utilise new machine learning models that can interpret data. Many data engineers have a software programming background and can also write scripts as well monitor and improve existing systems. A background in data processes and database architecture is crucial, as well as programming skills and knowledge of SQL-based technology.

200,000-336,000 AED ($54,000-$91,000)

Organisations turn to data analysts to make informed decisions. This professional is responsible for interpreting vast amounts of data in order to discover trends, patterns, and insights about user behaviour. Daily responsibilities include mining and screening data, extracting insights, identifying areas for growth, and presenting organisational recommendations to management.

Unlike data scientists, a degree is not necessarily required, however candidates without a formal educational background in should have knowledge of their companys specific industry in order to create a paradigm to reference when interpreting data. A statistics background and knowledge of computational frameworks is an asset, and experience working with programming languages like Java, Python, and R is a must.

230,000-500,000 AED ($62,000-$136,000)

This role is similar to a data analyst, however data scientists are expected to be able to address business problems with a deeper level of intricacy throughout the data science cycle. They determine what the most important questions or issues are that data could potentially solve. Whereas analysts describe the past and current insights from data, data scientists make predictions and recommendations to stakeholders with key metrics in mind. They are also responsible for training machine learning models to create more powerful and predictive algorithms. With the means to extract meaning from data and the direct impact of solving real-time business problems, data scientists are likely to remain within the top 3 in-demand roles within the field of data, says Kaur. The question is, have organisations in the Middle East taken the right steps to really extract the right value from these professionals?

Data scientists often have a Masters degree or Ph.D. in fields like computer science, engineering, or statistics. They also have in-depth knowledge of programming and analytical tools, and proficiency in Python, the Hadoop platform, SQL, data visualisation, and machine learning/AI.

350,000-448,000 AED ($95,000-$121,000)

While not every IT team includes this role, this is a steadily growing area in the data field, as regulatory frameworks are in a state of flux and compliance is key. The candidates should have a strong knowledge of legal and governmental policy issues related to data privacy, be familiar with national and region-wide frameworks, and be able to identify new policy implications within the scope of their business. They also lead the design and implementation of data polices, conduct data mapping and compliance audits, advise the IT and data departments, and review records of data processing activities. Candidates should have knowledge of information security processes and five years of experience in data protection/date security roles. A background in IT, information security, or public policy is an advantage.

540,000-780,000 AED ($147,000-$212,000)

Any company that wants to design and implement a data strategy needs a team lead. The data architect, or data lead, is like a combination of two of the above roles rather than having a background in software engineering and building data frameworks like a data engineer or having a background in statistics and analysis like a data scientist, the architect is expected to understand all of these fields and their related skills. They design the entire vision for a companys data architecture and continuously refine and improve data management systems with new technical features, data models, and management systems. In this role, a degree in computer science or engineering is a must, but an advanced degree like an MBA or Masters degree in data science is advantageous.

The data leader is the strategic bridge between ambitious organisational goals, traditional technology, and modern science, Kaur says. Data leaders are crucial in order to direct a business towards truly implementing a data-driven culture; they are a dedicated leader that understands the impact of data and has the courage to build whats needed to get there.

Continue reading here:

The top 5 data professional tech jobs in the Middle East - CIO