0  

Applied Machine Learning certificate prepares professionals for data science careers

Neuron illustration

Effective data analysis can make all the difference for a company’s efficiency. Advances in machine learning (ML) have helped data scientists harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and take their analysis to the next level. Brian D’Alessandro, head of data science for Instagram’s Well-Being and Integrity teams and author of Cornell’s Applied Machine Learning and AI certificate program, has 20 years of experience in ML model construction. D’Alessandro spoke to the eCornell team about the certificate, ML instructional approaches and career paths. 

What can students expect in the program?

“Even when students have learned how to build a model, I would argue that they haven’t learned to build a good model yet. There’s an empirical process required in tuning model parameters such that you get the prediction quality that you’re looking for. So, in this certificate,  we ensure students learn how to build a strong, basic model . . . how to tune it and validate it, and then we start to introduce more complex algorithms that are more often used in industry settings. We cover K-nearest neighbors, decision trees and linear models – the full spectrum. Throughout the program, we emphasize the consistency of the API across different machine learning algorithms.”

Are any important aspects of working with ML frequently overlooked?

“I really like to emphasize digging into data first before learning algorithms. The cliche at this point is “garbage in, garbage out,” and that’s very true for machine learning. So what I want to do here is build an appreciation for what will ultimately be 80 to 90 percent of the workload, which is data preparation. We emphasize the importance of it. [We] don’t dismiss it . . . this is the one area of machine learning that is often not spoken about or taught in textbooks.”

What about this program will help students upskill or pursue a career change?

“The program is oriented toward developing the core machine learning skills for most data science jobs or machine learning engineering. If you are a working professional and you want to get into either one of the fields, this certificate is designed to be one of the best starting points, presuming you’re co-learning, or have already learned, Python.”

Take the first step toward building successful machine learning algorithms in Cornell’s Applied Machine Learning and AI certificate program. Learn more and enroll now.

This story was drafted by eCornell marketing intern Justin Heitzman.

  0  

A culture of intrapreneurship: 3 practices for organizational innovation

A worker sitting in front of a laptop and holding a lightbulb in his right hand

In business, reinvention does not happen overnight. It is the result of scaled innovation – years of experimentation to identify and implement solutions to evolving challenges.

However, some senior leaders see innovation only as a one-off like a new product, service upgrade or go-to-market strategy. The misconception can stall a company’s progress toward significant goals and lasting industry impact. Expert faculty from the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business and ILR School recently shared three tactics organizations can use to integrate innovation throughout their operations.

1. Create a culture of intrapreneurship.

Rather than limiting out-of-the-box thinking to specific projects, executives and managers can guide employees to operate like entrepreneurs within their businesses. Through this approach, known as intrapreneurship, leaders help team members function with the autonomy and accountability to contribute new creative ideas on a continuous basis.

“As I work with companies globally, the primary reason I see innovation ‘getting stuck’ is that organizations approach it as a singular task,” said Neil Tarallo, senior lecturer of management and organizations at the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration. “Innovation is an ongoing process, and it requires commitment, adaptability and a willingness to embrace change.”

Great innovation, according to Tarallo, begins with the C-suite and moves downward throughout an organization. Executives can foster creativity from the top by dismantling rigid hierarchies and empowering employees at all levels to share ideas. Additionally, managers can encourage cross-functional collaboration among teams.

“The companies best positioned to innovate when it is most necessary are those that innovate in small ways every day,” said Tarallo. “These organizations operate in teams that bring a range of specialties and perspectives to each challenge they face. This approach leads to a more forward-thinking culture than can sustain a business in the long term.”

2. Support risk-taking and long-term thinking.

Innovation often requires risk. To help employees adopt a positive risk mindset, leaders can encourage – and reward – experimentation, set realistic expectations for results and make it clear that failures are opportunities to learn and not stairsteps to punitive consequences.

Yuan Shi, assistant professor of management and organizations at the Nolan School, offers additional guidance for executives and managers discussing innovation with backers and shareholders.

“External investors might not immediately grasp the value of ideas that bridge different fields, despite the eventual significant impact of these cross-domain concepts,” Shi said. “Breakthrough innovation demands considerable patience from investors and may face threats from short-term thinking in the market. Firms should embrace longer time horizons and prioritize longer-term returns.”

Shi advises leaders to communicate with transparency, detail the competitive advantages and financial value of innovation and provide regular progress updates with evidence of impact.

3. Earmark resources for innovation.

A lack of resources can be a barrier to success for innovation, but oftentimes the greatest obstacle can be the tendency not to view innovation as an initiative that requires tangible support. According to Brian Lucas, assistant professor of organizational behavior at the Cornell ILR School, leaders may want big ideas but they are unlikely to receive them unless they make provisions for creativity.

“People believe a breakthrough idea is something that just pops into someone’s head, maybe while taking a shower, riding the bus, talking with a colleague or just by thinking hard enough,” said Lucas. “Leaders think that they just need to put out a call for innovation, and eventually one of their workers will have a good idea. Sometimes this happens. But more often breakthrough ideas are the result of deliberate creative work that requires resources.”

Lucas encourages executives to consider the four categories of people, time, space and funding in their efforts to support innovation: “Ask yourself how many people do you have working on new ideas and can these people bring in other people if needed. Do the people have dedicated time for innovation, or are they expected to multitask? Is there dedicated space for creativity and conversation? Do they have money to buy data and research, materials for prototyping, consulting services, travel and more?”

As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) increases, companies can also take steps to ensure that human knowledge and the latest technology can coexist successfully. Businesses can use tech as a tool for employee innovation and provide upskilling resources necessary for new job opportunities.

“Historically, tech advancements lead to employment and economic growth,” Lucas said. “Companies and leaders who view innovation as ongoing work are best equipped to use AI as a resource for creativity and to benefit from its potential.”

Gain expertise in cutting-edge innovation practices in one of Cornell’s more than 30 online leadership certificate programs, including Intrapreneurship, Innovation Strategy and Leadership Agility.

  0  

Cornell launches new general counsel executive education program

Cornell Tech campus

Senior in-house attorneys and corporate leaders are navigating a dynamic business environment full of opportunities and challenges, ranging from technological innovation to shifts in regulatory requirements. At the current pace of change, 45 percent of chief executives believe their businesses could fail within a decade unless they adapt.

Cornell Law School and Cornell Tech are set to host the General Counsel Summit – an immersive executive education program designed to help these professionals address new issues in corporate governance and compliance, intellectual property, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, sustainability, ethics and more – on June 20 and 21, 2024, at Cornell Tech in New York City.

“It is imperative for in-house counsel to be on the cutting edge of business transformation,” said LizAnn Eisen, faculty director for the summit and acting professor of the practice at Cornell Law School and Cornell Tech. “These legal practitioners are pivotal in guiding companies through rapid global change. Our program is designed to help participants position themselves as strategic thought leaders and partners to executives in organizations working to capitalize on trends and avoid common pitfalls.”

The summit is structured to deliver valuable insights and practical knowledge in a variety of formats. Participants will engage in online and in-person presentations, panel discussions and hands-on workshops led by Eisen and other Cornell faculty experts, experienced corporate lawyers and decision makers, including:

  • Charles Whitehead, B.A. ’83, Professor, Cornell Law School
  • Matthew D’Amore, B.S. ’91, Associate Dean, Cornell Tech
  • C. Allen Parker, Former CEO, SVP & General Counsel, Wells Fargo
  • René Paula, Multi-Exit Executive, Public Company Officer, Board Director, Vaxxinity
  • Danielle Sheer, Chief Legal & Compliance Officer, Commvault
  • Nicholas Dorsey, J.D. ’09, Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
  • Elizabeth Morgan, Partner, King & Spalding
  • Michael Arnold, Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
  • Bill Priestap, Founder, Trenchcoat Advisors
  • ​​Alasdair Share, Chief Security Officer, Goldman Sachs
  • Machua Millett, Chief Innovation Officer, Lockton Financial Services
  • Margaux Knee, Chief Administrative Officer, LinkNYC
  • Susan Meisel, Executive Vice President, Sony Music Entertainment
  • Elizabeth Grayer, Non-Profit Executive and Attorney

Participants will also enjoy peer networking receptions. Eisen believes the program’s small size of no more than 50 professionals will enable productive one-to-one conversations on best practices and strategy during those gatherings.

“The significant changes sweeping through the corporate landscape demand a nuanced understanding of how areas such as technology, geopolitics, risk and crisis management intersect with the law,” Eisen said. “Following the summit, members of the cohort will return to their companies as stronger communicators, problem solvers and influencers on these topics. They will also gain an expanded network of fellow leaders to consult in challenging times.”

Participants who complete the program will earn the General Counsel Summit: Strategic Leadership Certificate from Cornell Tech, CLE credit and 25 Professional Development Hours.

Individuals interested in the program can learn more and register online through June 10. Early bird pricing is available for a limited time.

  0  

Navigating the future of product development

Cornell Tech networking event

Keeping pace with the swift disruption of artificial intelligence (AI) and other trends in tech has proven to be a challenge across industries. Cornell Tech product and technology experts Keith Cowing and Josh Hartmann know firsthand how emerging technologies and attitude shifts can prompt radical changes in the world of product development.

The Product and Tech Leadership Summit, which will take place this September at Cornell Tech in New York City, is an immersive learning and networking experience for professionals who lead product teams. They will learn from industry leaders, AI researchers and expert Cornell faculty how to leverage transformation techniques to build high-performing products and tech teams. Cowing and Hartmann recently shared a preview of the Summit’s topics:

Use Available Tools and Understand New Opportunities

While the rapid pace of change in the product development space can feel overwhelming, Cowing and Hartmann suggest using existing tools rather than shying away from them. According to Hartmann, it is unlikely that ChatGPT represents the full reality of the AI-integrated future, but professionals should be familiar with it and other current tools. Familiarity can empower executives to create plans of action: “You can’t shift the entire enterprise all at once, but what are the pieces of the enterprise that you can start to move over?” asked Hartmann, chief practice officer for Cornell Tech.

Hartmann and Cowing agree that companies must continue the work to understand and harness the power of AI. Generative AI can perform data analysis and write code, potentially allowing the automation of complex processes such as optimizing web pages for mobile.

“Some companies are building as their product – they’re AI companies. Some will put AI in their product and augment what they do. And then some will just be more efficient with it, and that’s going to affect everybody,” said Cowing, a visiting lecturer at Cornell Tech.

Breakthroughs in spatial computing technology, led by Apple’s recently announced Vision Pro, also present a range of critical product development opportunities and obstacles. “It’s too early to know if the vision – pun intended – is going to stand up. If it does, then we’re also going to see major reskilling required in our teams,” Hartmann said.

Focus on the Customer

A shift toward customer-focused strategy is driving change in the product development industry. Airbnb, for example, has made sweeping changes to its product with the intent of improving the customer experience. For Cowing and Hartmann, AI carries the potential to accelerate such processes.

“How do we implement AI and build a tooling around it that will help our customers get the job done? And that’s the key … the sweet spot comes when you can integrate AI and build value and context around AI on behalf of your customer. You can use and apply your deep understanding of your customers’ needs and use AI as an accelerant, a force multiplier,” Hartmann said.

Make a Positive Impact

While recent advancements in AI and spatial computing create many new possibilities, they also prompt serious ethical questions. Hartmann and Cowing contend that the difference that these technologies create in the world will depend on the people who implement them.

“Somehow [we must create] the incentives in the system so that people want to do the right thing and are encouraged to do the right thing,” said Cowing.

To influence positive change through new tech, Hartmann encourages professionals to pursue careers with mission-driven companies and leaders: “Be intentional about where you work. It really does come from the top,” he said.

Cowing and Hartmann look forward to welcoming professionals to the apply early.

Want to learn more before applying?

 

This story was drafted by eCornell marketing intern Justin Heitzman.

  0  

Generative AI for Business Transformation certificate empowers leaders to improve productivity

Finger touching a screen and creating a sparkling effect against a blue background

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape industries, Cornell Tech and the SC Johnson College of Business have partnered to launch Generative AI for Business Transformation, a new, live online certificate program to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to harness the power of AI.

“Organizations and individuals who can harness the potential of AI will gain a huge advantage, while those taken by the hype who don’t upskill and prepare will risk obsolescence,” said Karan Girotra, faculty author, Cornell Tech professor and Charles H. Dyson Family Professor of Management. “This certificate program is designed to provide participants with a deep understanding of the capabilities and compromises of AI, and empower them with skills to increase their managerial effectiveness and transform business processes.”

Recent advances in AI have enabled machines to outperform humans in several kinds of knowledge work, particularly in producing linguistic and visual elements based on large volumes of information. Girotra emphasizes the remarkable potential of the underlying technologies, which are facilitating breakthroughs in medicine, chemistry and physics.

The live online certificate program available through eCornell, will span five weeks, beginning April 29, 2024, and will be conducted by Girotra on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET. Participants will evaluate the most effective ways to adopt AI technologies, exploring how AI enables new, automated, highly scalable and low-cost methods of cognitive work. The curriculum will also address AI’s ethical and legal concerns, underscoring the need for responsible adoption and policymaking.

Girotra notes that while AI offers immense opportunities, it also presents challenges: “These new capabilities also empower bad actors, open new ethical and legal concerns and test regulatory frameworks. There is also a significant probability of a monopoly provider of the technology. This could shift economic power to Big Tech, posing a long-term existential threat to smaller organizations engaged in work that can be automated. This program will help participants navigate these complexities and leverage AI responsibly.”

The Generative AI for Business Transformation certificate is positioned as a crucial resource for leaders looking to stay ahead in an increasingly AI-driven world. Organizations and individuals seeking to transform their businesses or careers are encouraged to explore this innovative offering from eCornell. The certificate will be delivered live and space in the program is limited. Learn more and enroll.

  0  

Supply chain management meets modern analytics in Cornell certificate program

While supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have mostly eased, predicting customer demand and other elements of supply chain management continue to present companies with complex existential challenges.

The crisis laid bare the vulnerabilities in traditional forecasting models – where a single miscalculation could lead to product shortages and severe revenue losses – and revealed the need for a more advanced data-driven approach.

The eight-week Supply Chain Analytics online certificate program from the Cornell SC Johnson Graduate School of Management equips specialists from various sectors with strategies to master key elements of supply chain management. Li Chen, professor of operations, technology and information management, leads the program.

“We know that the future is unpredictable, right? But we still want to make predictions. The idea is to look at historical sales and demand data, and based on that, utilize formulas to make good demand forecasts,” Chen said. “I teach this data-driven approach with a focus on measuring forecast performance as well. Every time you forecast, you should compare it to the actuals to gauge the accuracy of your predictions, so you can refine your methods over time.”

Diving into topics like demand variability and inventory management, the program provides a robust set of tools for actionable insights. It digs into inevitable trade-offs between reducing inventory and increasing transportation costs, offering a nuanced perspective to students interested in supply chain consulting and analyst roles or anyone who seeks to better understand the strategic aspect of operations management and logistics.

The instruction provided on industry standard operations and inventory management systems also highlights underutilized functionalities of software designed to improve the efficiency of supply chain configurations.

“This content will truly help people, especially those using systems like SAP or Oracle, to appreciate what’s underneath the hood,” Chen said. “My hope is that through this content, we can bring more attention and awareness to the potential end users.”

The program is directed toward entry-level supply chain analysts and those in management roles who run backend operations.

With a finely-tuned curriculum that balances theoretical underpinnings with practical insights, the Supply Chain Analytics online certificate program prepares professionals for disruption and how the unpredictable can become the expected. Learn more and enroll today.

  0  

Cornell certificate equips leaders with natural language processing skills

In today’s digitized world, every action we perform generates data. A significant chunk of this information is in the form of text. Companies across industries grapple with colossal amounts of unstructured text data from diverse sources. Natural language processing (NLP) techniques make it possible to interpret, categorize and gain value from this otherwise overwhelming information, giving companies a competitive edge in an increasingly data-driven landscape.

“Natural Language Processing with Python,” a new online certificate program from Cornell, was designed by Oleg Melnikov, visiting lecturer at the Cornell Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, to teach professionals the fundamentals needed to apply NLP in the workplace. Melnikov met with the eCornell team to discuss the importance of NLP knowledge and the ins and outs of the certificate program.

How does Natural Language Processing differ from machine learning?

“[NLP] is a topic that overlaps with machine learning. The difference is that machine learning doesn’t focus on text. It can have some examples related to text, but it’s primarily related to developing concepts of modeling, whereas in NLP, our domain is textual and we are focusing on solving language problems: text classification, translation, maybe building different representations of text in the mathematical domain. Machine learning steps in when we have converted text to numbers. Then we can apply machine learning algorithms.”

How are businesses currently leveraging NLP for their operations?

“This domain is expanding dramatically, and there are lots of projects in pretty much every domain. Different sectors, different companies, anything from McDonald’s to aviation, have some sort of textual interaction. All that requires some sort of summarization, some sort of categorization . . . where an individual doesn’t have to work with individual text but can step up at an aggregated level and process these massive text banks at scale.”

Who can gain the most value from your NLP program?

“NLP recently has been divided into two subdomains. One is what we’re introducing the students to: the classical techniques. Students who have not worked with NLP before would be good candidates for the certificate program. The courses are focused on preparing and developing students for the practical uses of natural language processing. There is another domain, which is a more modern, ChatGPT-like, neural-network-based NLP . . . that is for students who are more advanced with NLP skills.”

With textual analysis proving to be an integral tool across many industries, a working knowledge of NLP can help you and your workplace become more efficient. Expand your theoretical and technical expertise with NLP by enrolling in the Natural Language Processing with Python certificate program.

  0  

3 ways sustainable businesses can prepare for climate challenges

Wind turbines in a field against a background of a cloudy sky

From supply chain disruption to regulatory compliance pressure, companies experience bottom-line impacts of climate change every day. Accounting for environmental disruptions and transitions is essential to corporate risk management and resilience plans.

Sustainability and ecological transformation experts from Cornell University identified three strategies businesses can implement to thrive – and protect the planet – in a changing climate.

1. Limit the guesswork.

Forecasting climate change impacts on a company’s future requires a data-driven approach. Organizations can use current and projected temperature and weather trends to inform sustainability efforts. Leaders can also consult research and models from reputable sources such as the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to become better informed about the challenges – and opportunities – they may face. Research-based sustainable business practices enable companies to replace speculation with evidence-based predictions and solutions.

“Senior executives need to be fully aware of how climate change is shifting every assumption they may have about the future,” said Michael Hoffmann, former executive director of the Cornell Institute for Climate Change Solutions and professor emeritus in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “Grasping how our world is fundamentally changing, and how to respond, is critical for their businesses as well as all of society.”

Corporations can expect more weather extremes that will cause delays, shortages and increased costs in the coming years. Hoffmann contends that it is critical to understand climate change’s bigger picture.

“Water scarcity, reduced crop yields, migration, heatwaves – we have witnessed the consequences of these issues on global business operations and consumers,” Hoffmann said. “Precedent should serve as a baseline for how businesses approach sustainability in the future.”

2. Avoid the copycat trap.

Given the uncertainty around best practices for a sustainable and regenerative future, corporate leaders might be tempted to duplicate the tactics of peers and competitors. Differences in operational size, industry, geography and customer base are important considerations in an organization’s efforts to reduce its effects on the climate and the climate’s effects on the organization.

According to Glen Dowell, the Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management at the Johnson Graduate School of Management, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to climate change challenges for businesses.

“Fit your methods to at least two factors: what your company’s vulnerabilities and opportunities are, and the culture, structure and capabilities your company possesses,” Dowell said. “If your vulnerability stems largely from potential disruptions to a supply of a vital resource, you need to think both about how to secure a less vulnerable supply and possibly how to innovate to find a substitute.”

Dowell asserts that climate change reveals how interconnected our social and ecological systems are. The symbiosis is found in every company in every sector.

“For example, palm oil is sourced all too frequently by razing forests, leading to huge CO2 emissions and reducing the land’s ability to absorb CO2 in the future. If my company depended upon palm oil, I would be derelict in my duty to shareholders if I were not working tirelessly to secure a more sustainable source while simultaneously looking for a suitable replacement,” Dowell said. “For palm oil suppliers, developing a sustainable substitute would represent a significant business opportunity – a chance to gain massive sales to companies that need the product.”

3. Maintain a global and interconnected perspective.

Effective corporate sustainability initiatives involve employees from all business areas. Leaders can set policies and goals for emissions cuts, waste reduction and renewable energy investment, but success requires across-the-board adoption – especially in a time when consumers and investors increasingly expect companies to operate sustainably.

“The business case for sustainability is generally justified by increased profits, environmental benefits and a competitive advantage for early adopters,” said Danielle Eiseman, lecturer in the Brooks School of Public Policy. “However, as the effects of climate change become more widespread, the case for action becomes much more critical than what’s good for the bottom line.”

Eiseman encourages executives to assess the risks and consequences of climate challenges on their businesses through the lenses of individual and global impact.

“For informed decision-making, leaders need to comprehend the broader consequences like socio-economic implications and geopolitical shifts on a worldwide scale. Businesses operate within an ecosystem in which disruptions in one part of the world can have cascading effects throughout the supply chain and markets,” Eiseman said.

Learn how to seize the opportunities in sustainability.

Faculty from Cornell University have designed online certificate programs on a range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics, including sustainable business, corporate sustainability and equitable community change. A four-week Climate Change Leadership course from the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is also available online through eCornell.

  0  

Cornell AI Strategy certificate prepares leaders to leverage new tech

In the era of artificial intelligence (AI), professionals across sectors are racing to strategize ethical and sustainable applications of the technology. Many organizations are actively pursuing AI knowledge not only to harness its potential but also to ensure responsible implementation.

Cornell’s new AI Strategy certificate program – authored by Soumitra Dutta, professor of operations, technology and information management in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business – offers a nuanced curriculum for leaders who are ready to leverage the power of AI in various business contexts.

“Today virtually every single employee in an organization needs to understand something about AI. It doesn’t matter if it’s the senior executive in the boardroom, office worker or factory floor worker,” Dutta said.

The program, which is available through eCornell, includes six courses. Students begin with an introduction to AI then explore knowledge-based technologies, machine learning and data-based approaches to the technology. Later courses cover AI implementations across sectors, societal effects and the tech’s future prospects. Each module is designed to be applicable to the real-world concerns of any professional aiming to comprehend how AI integrates with business and society.

Upon completion of the program, students will understand how to:

  • Assess applications of AI in their organizations
  • Apply knowledge-based AI technologies to their organizations’ standard tasks
  • Address challenges by applying machine learning
  • Design strategies to implement AI systems across an organization
  • Examine the societal implications of AI in areas such as labor, privacy and ethics
  • Envision the development of strategies to preserve human dignity and agency while embracing the benefits of the technology

In light of the rapid evolution of AI, the program maintains a dynamic curriculum, emphasizing core principles and skills for comprehending the fast-changing discourse surrounding AI.

“It’s like an AI boot camp, ” said Dutta. “The program is sufficiently light on the technology side to give you enough background but sufficiently deep on the context and the strategy side. It gives you the technical background while hitting on all kinds of things happening in our world right now,” Dutta said.

AI is more than a tool; it’s a strategic necessity. Cornell’s AI Strategy certificate program prepares professionals to navigate the exciting yet complex future of the technology. Learn more and enroll today.

  0  

Crunching Numbers: Understanding the Power of Statistics

Hand holding pen pointing at graph

Imagine being able to transform raw data into actionable insights, shaping the direction of your business and your daily life. This power lies in understanding and applying statistics – the foundation of informed decision-making, the catalyst for impactful change and the key to unraveling the complexities of our world.

Cindy van Es, professor of practice at Cornell’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management and author of the Business Statistics certificate program, is expanding our comprehension of the study of statistics and its practical application in diverse fields. From agriculture to digital analytics, her work equips us with tools to navigate the complexity of both the corporate realm and our everyday lives, with statistics as our guide. Van Es shared her insights in the Keynote webcast “Statistics: What Everyone Should Know.”

How has statistics changed over the years?

“There are so many things after teaching it all these years, but . . . it’s present in every field these days. Even when I was going through education, it was very much the scientists, but it’s moved into so many fields now. The explosion I’ve seen over my career, from the very quantitative fields, to now: Every field has a metric. So it’s good to have a little idea of what goes behind some of these things.”

What are some surprising ways statistical information is used?

“When I think about the kinds of jobs my former students have now, they work for Airbnb, or Expedia, or Hilton or in finance. Even in marketing, now: A lot of stores will track your eyes . . . to see how long you look at a product, and they can correlate that data with the scanner data to see whether you bought it or not, and did the red label make you buy it more than the blue label . . . . There are experiments going on all around you, even when you’re not aware of it. Maybe you work in a nonprofit and you’re doing an amazing job, and it’s a very meaningful project, but in order to get funding, you may have to quantify why it’s amazing: What are the outcomes, and what are the metrics? There’s so much now: It’s kind of ubiquitous.” 

Which type of statistics is the most challenging to learn?

“Statistics has two branches: Descriptive and inferential. Descriptive is when you take a sample, you describe what you have and you ask the questions: Do I want to make a graph of this? Or do I want to make a table? Or calculate what we call ‘summary statistics?’ Most people are pretty good at that. Inferential is where you want to make an inference about a broader group, about a population. If you see a poll in the news, you’ll see a little plus-or-minus margin of error. That’s because they’re doing inferential statistics. When you see ‘this percent of people in the country think this,’ it’s based on a sample – so what you’re doing is making an inference. That part of statistics is a little harder for students and people in general, I think, because first of all, the language of inference is probability . . . understanding risk, understanding probabilities, the human mind really doesn’t think that way. So inferential is usually more challenging.”

Is artificial intelligence being used in statistical processes and interpretation of data?

“Each new technology – computers, and then supercomputers, and then desktops – influenced how people teach statistics and use techniques . . . . Now the merger is more with computer science and info science, as opposed to just being applied to agriculture, or medicine, or biology. Now the whole discipline is merging. Statistics hasn’t caught up with how to use [artificial intelligence] yet . . . statisticians are just starting to look at it.”

Harness the power of data interpretation in Cornell’s Business Statistics online certificate program. You’ll develop a dynamic set of skills that can heighten your confidence, fortify your decision-making, and catalyze meaningful change.

Drafted by eCornell writing intern Milan Lengyeltoti, with first round edits from marketing intern Justin Heitzman.