WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Nov. 17, 2022 — West Liberty University recently added Data Science to its Applied Mathematics program as it continues its mission to meet the needs of today’s students.
“The new Data Science program is important due to the shortage of qualified data scientists entering the job market. Data science job postings are outpacing qualified applicants by a factor of three,” said Dr. Raymond Holsapple, assistant professor of mathematics in WLU’s College of Sciences.
“For the last decade, this discipline has been one of the top five career choices for students and also for people making mid-career transitions. The work done by data scientists is a vital component in many industries including healthcare, government, manufacturing, social media, banking, academia, and more.
“Our data science students will learn the entire data science pipeline process using real-world datasets. Although the specifics vary by discipline, this process includes the ethical collection and handling of large datasets, data analyses and modeling, interpretation of results, and creating actionable reports and summaries,” he said.
The Bachelor of Science in Data Science degree will welcome its first cohort in fall of 2023.
Holsapple is a former member of the United States Air Force and also worked for six years as a research mathematician at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, prior to shifting his career to teaching. He joined WLU’s faculty in 2018.
According to the website Glassdoor.com, data scientists utilize their analytical, statistical, and programming skills to collect, analyze, and interpret large data sets. They then use this information to develop data-driven solutions to difficult scientific and business challenges.
Data scientists commonly have a bachelor’s degree in statistics, math, computer science, or economics and have a wide range of technical competencies including: applied mathematics, statistics, computer programming, database management, machine learning, and dashboard reporting technologies.
West Liberty University is West Virginia’s first public institution of higher learning and offers more than 70 undergraduate majors, plus a growing number of graduate programs, both online and on campus. To enroll, please visit westliberty.edu/admissions.
You also may contact Dr. Holsapple via email at raymond.holsapple@westliberty.edu.
For more information, please call 1.866.937.8542 (WESTLIB), visit westliberty.edu, or follow WLU on social media. To view more about WLU, please visit westliberty.edu/youtube.
