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Faculty Research Forum to tackle big data issues on November 12

ISSUED: 30 October 2018
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University’s Faculty Research Forum will feature a lecture by Dr. Ralph Wojtowicz, associate professor of mathematics, titled “Big Data Analytics” on Monday, November 12, from 4-5 p.m. in the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education auditorium.

According to Wojtowicz, science, technology, business, crime, governance, recreation, and private lives are all impacted by society’s increasing capacity to generate, store, and transmit digital data. Data analytics codifies the theory and methods for deriving knowledge and meaning from that data. Data analytics is a deep, multifaceted subject with significant historical context, modern relevance, and future promise. Wojtowicz will discuss past achievements in the field, current trends and risks, and some distinguishing characteristics of big data problems. He will also discuss his current research topic—deep learning and its application to estimating logical inference rules for knowledge bases.

Prior to joining Shepherd in 2011, Wojtowicz held faculty positions at the University of Dallas and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He worked seven years for a private research and development firm. More recently, he has worked as a data analyst consultant in the financial services industry.

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