Merrimack College in Massachusetts has steadily grown over the years in stature. It now is among the top-ranked schools in the Northeast, with employee-aligned programs that prepare students for post-graduation success.

That approach is evident in the master’s in data science and business analytics programs, both offered 100% online.

The programs have attracted faculty experts who put an emphasis on helping students grow during their time at Merrimack. The goal is to create responsible adults who are ready to become leaders. Therefore, part of the effort involves focusing on real-world application of knowledge, not just theory.

Here a few things about Merrimack College and its faculty that you may not have known.

Merrimack College Accolades

Founded in 1947 in North Andover, Merrimack College is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. Over time, the college of just over 4,000 has received recognition as one of the best schools in the country.

Accolades have come from many sources. For example, U.S. News & World Report has ranked the school among the best Regional Universities in the North, Best Value Schools and Best Engineering Programs.

Furthermore, The Princeton Review named Merrimack College among the Best of the Northeast, while Money magazine named the school as among the best for ensuring the economic success of its graduates.

Small Classes

Merrimack College focuses on each individual student. A tight-knit student population gets plenty of attention from faculty. That is reflected in the average freshmen retention rate of 82 percent, higher than the national average.

Merrimack College also features smaller class sizes, with 39 percent of classes having less than 20 students. The teacher-to-student ratio is 14-to-1.

Faculty Members Are Industry Experts

Merrimack College has built a faculty with an eye on getting experts in the data science and business analytics industry. They include the following, with their industry ties highlighted:

  • Andrew Banasiewicz, director of data science and business analytics. Dr. Banasiewicz founded Erudite Analytics, a consulting company, and previously taught at Boston University, Providence College and Harvard University. He’s also the author of four books on analytics.
  • Carmen Taglienti, director of Analytics, Data Warehousing and Architecture, Pearson. Taglienti currently leads the Global Analytics and Data Architecture program for Pearson as the book publisher transforms itself into a digital education company. He has more than 20 years of experience as a software engineer and systems architect.
  • Fotios Kokkotos, head of statistics, Trinity Partners. Dr. Kokkotos specializes in analysis of massive healthcare datasets and has 25 years of experience in working with statistics. He has held the position of senior statistician at PricewaterhouseCoopers and is an adjunct professor of statistics at The American University in Washington, D.C.

Industry Council

In addition to the industry ties of the three faculty members listed above, Merrimack College also has created an Industry Advisory Board that includes experts in the fields of data science and business analytics.

Members include:

  • Tracie Wilkie, director of population health reporting and analysis at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center
  • Taiese Bingham-Hickman, vice president of data analytics at Beacon Health Options.
  • Marcus Ellis, senior director of pricing analytics and data science at Staples

These represent some of the factors that make Merrimack College a quality educational institution that is growing in stature. It attracts students who not only want a supportive environment, but also those looking to get trained in the latest skills they can use in the workplace.