On 3 April 2018, the MIS/Analytics Club held its inaugural networking and panel discussion event.  Dr. Rachel Chung, Associate Professor of Business and Coordinator of Data Analytics & MIS at Chatham led the event and moderated a panel discussion with four current or prior students who are passionate about the future of the Management Information Systems (MIS) and Applied Data Science Analytics majors at Chatham.

Dr. Chung first discussed the history introducing MIS to Chatham, beginning in 2015, starting with two students in the major; Kathryn Polaski, MIS ’17 was one of these pioneers.  Slowly, other professors were added to teach programming (Tim James) and applied data science analytics (Dr. Stephanie Rosenthal).  Six students plan to graduate as MIS majors in 2019, and one this year!  A B.S. in Applied Data Science Analytics was introduced in 2017, and two students have already declared it as their major.

The most important lesson I took away from the event was to apply for internships early and often.  Perseverance and dedication is key, so go to networking mixers to build meaningful relationships.  Also, be good learner, or at least be open to learning. Several of the panel members talked about how they had MIS jobs on campus and knew absolutely nothing about computers but learned the lingo slowly and started to learn the processes and that really helped a great deal when they were applying and interviewing for internships. – Anthony Cooper, B.A. Economics ‘21

This career field is highly lucrative, and internships help build the foundations of a strong resume.  MIS and DSA students have interned on campus and for private companies, such as Mylan, PNC, BNY Mellon, Management Science Associates, and LunaMetrics, among other organizations.  During the panel discussion, Jeremy Witchel (B.A. MIS ’19) said, “Do not get discouraged because I applied to over sixty internships, heard back from three, got an internship opportunity from two places, and was finally hired by Mylan last summer.”

The most important lesson I learned from the event involves internships. I have learned that the people who are looking to hire you are not looking for a person that will know everything, but a person that is willing to learn and a person who they think can learn the most. They are not expecting you to know everything related to the internship or job. – Trevor Salvior, B.A. Accounting ‘21

The club has great plans for next school year.  In the fall, they want to host a recruiting event (including on and off campus organizations), movie night, and field trip.  Previous trips to businesses located in Pittsburgh include, Google, Tiversa, and Kroll, but this was often coordinated through classes and not the club, limiting participation.  In Spring 2019, there are plans to host an internal hackathon, another movie night, and a networking mixer.  The hackathon would occur in the spring, after students have completed a programming course in the fall, and it would prepare them for external events like CodeDay and SheInnovates.  The board is extremely excited for next school year and the opportunities it will provide Chatham students:

I hope the club achieves a massive success next year by giving students an opportunity to immerse themselves in the programming world even if they have no prior experience. Another goal of mine is to pave the way for leaders in future years to grow the club even more in Pittsburgh and beyond. – Daniela Beck, B.A. Management Information Systems ’20, MIS/Analytics Club Vice President for Marketing

When club president Youssef Aljabi asked me to be on the board of the MIS/Analytics Club I was extremely honored. I am excited to see what we as a group can accomplish with this new club and what new opportunities we can explore. Hopefully, we can help inform our fellow club members explore the plethora of options in not only MIS but in Pittsburgh. – Andrew Guanci, B.A. Management Information Systems ’19, MIS/Analytics Club Secretary

The B&E Department is excited to be working with students with an interest in analytics and Big Data.  This club will provide many professional development opportunities, but especially the networking environment that students will take with them throughout their careers.  Keep coming back to Business Insight to keep learning what the students are learning and experiencing!

Karen Sudkamp is a second-year dual degree student, looking forward to graduating in the summer of 2018 with a MA in Food Studies and an MBA.   She is interested in all things related to building a more sustainable and just food system and to find a role for business to participate in that journey.