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Rapid Insight to Present at Data Science Salons Healthcare, Finance, and Technology Virtual Event

CONWAY, N.H. (PRWEB) February 12, 2021

On February 17th, Rapid Insight, a leading data analytics software provider, will co-present a Data Science Salon session with Dr. Michael Johnson, Senior Data Scientist at St. Charles Health Center. The session, titled Keeping Humans in the Loop: 4 Strategies for Optimizing the Impact of Data Science in your Organization, will cover techniques to amplify data science and cultivate a data-informed mentality across an organization. The presentation will feature practical advice and real-world examples from Dr. Johnsons work modeling the pandemic and coordinating vaccination logistics. James Cousins, Rapid Insights Analyst Manager, will co-host the presentation.

Rapid Insight is an intermediate sponsor for Data Science Salons upcoming February virtual event. The event, titled Applying AI and Machine Learning to Healthcare, Finance, and Technology, will connect analysts and data scientists from three major industries for illuminating conversations in a casual environment. As a first-time sponsor of the event, Rapid Insight will offer a unique perspective on improving data efficiency and operationalizing business intelligence. Rapid Insight will host a virtual booth where visitors can speak with Rapid Insight analysts, schedule a software demo, and access resources to learn more about the products.

Data Science Salon events are opportunities for professionals to discuss the real issues and questions they confront in their day-to-day work, said Mike Laracy, Rapid Insights Founder and President. Our tools and support are specifically designed to make the work of data scientists and analysts more efficient, so were thrilled to join the conversation and contribute to the body of knowledge with our presentation. Dr. Michael Johnson is one of our most impressive and knowledgeable users, and were excited for him to share his wisdom with Salon attendees.

Amidst the tumult of the past 12 months, data science has been essential. Organizations rapidly adapted procedures due to COVID-19 and looked to data scientists for guidance. Data Science Salon events present a unique opportunity to share insight and wisdom within the data community. As a solutions provider designed to enable teams of all sizes to succeed, Rapid Insight is excited to engage with Data Science Salon attendees to learn and share along with them.

About Rapid Insight:Rapid Insight is a leading provider of business intelligence and automated predictive analytics software. With a specialty in higher education and a focus on ease of use and efficiency, Rapid Insight products enable users to turn their raw data into actionable information. The companys analytic software simplifies the extraction and analysis of data, enabling institutions with student populations of all sizes to fully utilize their information for data-informed decision making. For more information, visit http://www.rapidinsight.com.

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Rapid Insight to Present at Data Science Salon's Healthcare, Finance, and Technology Virtual Event - PR Web

The U.S. is inching closer to herd immunity almost two months into the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, with more than one million Americans getting vaccinated per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But with a large portion of the population still waiting to get vaccinated and questions around asymptomatic spread, immunized Americans wonder: Is it safe to leave the house and live a pre-pandemic lifestyle?

Not just yet, experts say.

Getting the vaccine is not a free pass to put aside all the public health measures officials have been reiterating since the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a CNN town hall in January.

We dont want people to think that just because theyre vaccinated that other public health recommendations just dont apply, said the nations leading infectious disease expert.

But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Each vaccination gets the U.S. closer to herd immunity and closer to easing restrictions and returning to normal, health experts say. Until then, social gatherings and travel without protective measures could jeopardize how quickly that may happen.

Data shows small gatherings drive transmission as people tend to relax safety precautions such as masking and social distancing around close friends and family, said Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Even when a person is vaccinated, it takes up to two weeks to reach maximum immunity and no shot offers total protection.

Recent data also shows the COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against new coronavirus variants, specifically one that originated in South Africa. As of Wednesday, the U.S. reported 932 cases of the U.K. variant and nine cases of the South African variant, according to CDC data. The agency said the U.K. variant, called B.1.1.7, could become the dominant strain by March.

Colleges around the U.S. have canceled spring break to discourage students from traveling after celebrations around the same time last year led to a summer surge of coronavirus infections.

Traveling is one of the fastest ways to spread the coronavirus, experts say, and unfortunately, we still dont know if the COVID-19 vaccine protects against transmission.

While studies show the vaccines are effective against symptomatic disease, researchers are still learning its impact on asymptomatic infection. For this reason, health officials warn against non-essential travel even after getting vaccinated.

You can conceivably get infected, get no symptoms and still have virus in your nasal pharynx, Fauci said during the town hall. Its possible that while carrying that virus, someone can transmit it to other travelers, family or friends.

Were in a race between the vaccines and a race with the virus, and its a moment in time where theres a lot of unknowns, El-Sadr said.

While some states have already begun to lift COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants, weddings and even indoor entertainment, health experts say its too early to attend social gatherings without protection.

After a year of pandemic restrictions, Americans are eager to get out of the house, El-Sadr said. But she urges Americans to continue masking and social distancing.

Whatever you were doing the day before you got vaccinated, you continue to do the day after you get vaccinated, El-Sadr said.

If people have to get together, they should minimize risk by being outside, wearing a mask and social distancing, said Dr. Sarita Shah, associate professor of at the department of global health, epidemiology and infectious diseases at Emory University.

We can get together in these small groups using these safety steps that we all know work, she said.

While getting the COVID-19 vaccine doesnt mean a sudden return to pre-pandemic ways, it could mean less anxiety and more individual freedoms.

Experts disagree on exactly how much freedom, but Dr. Vinay Prasad, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco, argues theres little risk in dining with a fellow vaccinated friend indoors or hugging fully immunized grandparents.

Nothing in this world comes with 0% risk, he adds, but one can drastically diminish risk by getting vaccinated. After that, its up to the individual to assess their own risk comfortability.

No one is chasing a zero-risk life. In fact, that is a mirage, Prasad said said in an op-ed on Medpage Today. Instead, we all want reasonable safety.

Spring travel may be possible if its done safely and travelers are mindful of where theyre going and who theyre seeing. People should avoid traveling to an area where infections are on the rise and visiting loved ones who are vulnerable to severe disease and not vaccinated.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order in his first days in office mandating masks in flights, trains and buses. The Transportation Security Administration announced last week that it will recommend fines ranging from $250 to $1,500 for people who do not abide by the new transportation mask order.

The CDC issued guidelines Wednesday recommending wearing a surgical mask underneath a cloth mask or knotting the surgical masks to prevent air seeping through the sides.

Shah doesnt expect coronavirus cases to increase dramatically like it did after the holidays as more Americans will be vaccinated and warmer weather will hopefully push people to host gatherings outside.

On Memorial Day, were going to have a different scenario, she said. The first and best thing is that its warmer and people will be outside. That reduces the risk a lot.

The Biden administration is on track to administer 100 million vaccine doses in 100 days. But even after accomplishing this goal, the U.S. will still be far from achieving herd immunity, said CDC director Rochelle Walensky.

Its going to take a while for us to feel like were back to a sense of normalcy, she said during the CNN town hall. After we vaccinate 100 million Americans, were going to have 200 million more to vaccinate.

Read more at usatoday.com

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Following the COVID science: what the data say about the vaccine, social gatherings and travel - Chicago Sun-Times

The pandemic has created a frenzied expansion of DevOps roles fuelled by cloud-based activity, and the automation of different tech stacks to deploy and write code. Faced with managing the advent of so much more cloud-based development, companies are frantically looking for DevOps professionals with the experience required to maintain continuous and even accelerated development.

There are other tech roles also in high demand. Its no secret that a great data scientist is hard to come by, but an all-in-one data wizard who possesses every skill required to conceptualize, create, maintain and productionalize successful data models that can drive business decisions is a rare breed indeed.

Those worth their salt are frequently snapped up by multinationals, leaving a small subsection who may prefer to work for a tech start up or scale up however, they may need convincing.

What can tech companies actually do to secure the best talent in an age where hiring just got harder?

Heres a trade secret: when it comes to complex roles that are in high demand, you would think it would be very difficult to attract the right candidates. Yet in fact, the opposite is actually true. Its actually remarkably easy to target these people because they are digital natives, and likely to be present on digital marketing channels.

Because tech people have specific skills that are related to specific technologies, it makes sense to use these as keywords in digital marketing campaigns. For instance, if youre recruiting for DevOps roles and you throw out buzzwords Amazon AWS, Azure, RedShift, and digital products like Jenkins if you target recruitment activities against these words, youre going to hit DevOps people. Similarly, if you target keywords like Hadoop and Python, youre going to hit data scientists.

If firms can embrace digital attraction, and use it as an element in a dedicated recruitment marketing strategy, it may go a long way to ensuring that the correct people see the job adverts and campaigns - and to make sure recruitment budget is not wasted on unqualified candidates.

Social media can also be a big help in targeting people who meet specific criteria. While traditional job board adverts can be seen by anyone who uses appropriate search terms, targeted social media ads can only be seen by people who meet specific criteria. This could be qualifications, experience, specific skill sets or even location; with Facebook, LinkedIn and Google targeting capabilities, there are a range of possibilities which can ensure only suitable candidates see your ads.

The data science polymath is about to become as rare as another Newton or Goethe. Instead of trying to hire multiple unicorns, organizations may be better off following a more flexible approach to getting the data science talent they need.

Its better to use your own best people to define the data sub-specialisms and hire against that. The data scientist is a new and evolving position, and the same criteria will not likely fit for everyone. With data science roles, you have to have an evolving view of what a senior, intermediate or junior position looks like and requires.

Someone may have done a masters degree in data science, but the fact is, these courses for the most part have only been around for a few years. By the checkbox criteria, that person may not yet have the skills to be a data scientist in a lot of organizations. Its a new discipline which will fragment over time, and specialty qualifications will emerge within it. Organizations must understand the complexities of the roles and be more flexible in their hiring practices in order to secure good data science talent.

Recruiting for highly specialized roles is a bit of a new discipline, and companies need to begin to look at non-standard routes to hiring. Limiting roles so severely and only considering, for example, Ivy League or Oxbridge maths graduates with several years worth of experience is unlikely to end up in success. There may be candidates with 10 years of experience or industry veterans who are perfect, but who did not attend the very top elite schools.

Beyond this, online education is improving at a Moores Law type of pace. Components of data science can be learned to a practical level without the need for a STEM PhD. Hiring for raw aptitude or transferable skills can pipeline talent for scale.

LinkedIn is a useful recruitment platform, and their paid job ads are pretty good, but there's a key flaw. The key flaw with LinkedIn is that it only addresses the active candidate market. If there are five million software developers in the US, only 15 to 20% of them may be actively looking for positions.

Relying wholly on platforms like LinkedIn means you've ignored 80% of potential candidates. With the right message and the right communication, tech companies may be able to attract someone who wasnt even looking for a new role in the first place. Its a bit like advertising: the same way companies win new customers for products people didnt even know they needed or wanted, companies may be able to attract new candidates.

When it comes to hiring and scaling, tech companies certainly have their work cut out for them these days, but with a little innovation, and an open minded and flexible approach, firms can be well positioned to attract the very best tech talent, and to continue scaling products competitively.

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Opinion: How to secure the best tech talent | Human Capital - Business Chief