Welcome to the Center for Data Analytics!

The Center for Data Analytics at UW-Stevens Point serves as a dynamic liaison between the university and various organizations that seek expertise in the realm of data analytics. Our core competencies encompass a wide range of analysis including descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive.

Under the leadership of Sentry Insurance Endowed Chair of Computational Analytics Kurt A. Pflughoeft, who brings with him a wealth of experience as a researcher and consultant ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses, our goal is to empower organizations to improve their data-driven decision-making capabilities. This aids in enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of their products and services, and opens doors to new areas of opportunity.
 

Services Offered

The Center for Data Analytics offers diverse engagement arrangements, from consultative agreements to paid student capstone projects and internships. Student engagements are overseen by either of our faculty, ensuring the highest quality guidance and management.

Data Services

Data Services

Our areas of expertise are expansive and include statistical analysis, machine learning, data preparation, data engineering and project management. We employ an array of tools to aid our work, including:

  • SAS
  • Python
  • R
  • C++
  • SQL
  • Relational DBs
  • Big Data systems
  • Knime/SAS Enterprise Miner
  • ChatGPT
  • PowerBI
  • Tableau
  • VBA/Excel

Center Highlights

Bug Tussel

Data Analytics Customer Attrition Analysis Research

The costs of acquiring new customers are estimated to be 3-5 times higher than retention costs. UWSP’s Sentry Endowed Chairs Kurt Pflughoeft and Nik Butz joined up with data analytics alum Alick Corbley ’23 to share research that demonstrates how Alick helped Internet service provider Bug Tussel glean insight into customers who are more likely to leave. Analysis was done in both JMP Pro and R. Alick started this research as an intern and is now a full-time data analyst with Bug Tussel.
Bug Tussel

SAS JMP Pro Demo

The Sentry School data analytics program hosted a demonstration of JMP Software’s SAS JMP Pro on Wednesday, March 8 for students, faculty and our partners at Sentry. JMP is ideal for teaching, allowing professors to spend more time teaching concepts and real-world examples without programming. The highly visual, point-and-click interface of JMP helps students grasp statistical and analytical concepts and apply them to real data. Researchers can leverage model screening techniques that automatically select the best statistical or machine learning models. Funding for SAS JMP PRO for UW-Stevens Point and the JMP event was provided by the UWSP Center for Data Analytics.
 

These creative problem solvers make profound contributions – and good pay

Data analytics is all the buzz at many corporations subsuming areas such as business analytics and business intelligence. The goals of data analytics are broad, ranging from knowledge discovery to automated decision-making. The impact of this field has led to many benefits such as increased cross- and up-selling as well as identifying new business opportunities.
 

Release the Data Analyst!

Data analytics is all the buzz at many corporations subsuming areas such as business analytics and business intelligence. The goals of data analytics are broad, ranging from knowledge discovery to automated decision-making. The impact of this field has led to many benefits such as increased cross- and up-selling as well as identifying new business opportunities.
 

Featured Publication

Prioritizing Cell Tower Site Recommendations outside U.S. Metropolitan Areas by Kurt Pflughoeft, Grace Nemecek and Nikolaus T. Butz

Cell phone technology has advanced rapidly with the start of 5G being rolled out across the networks. To keep up with this demand, cell tower companies have responded by erecting numerous towers. Engineers and researchers analyze the network topography to make recommendations for cell tower locations. Cell tower companies evaluate these recommendations using a host of other factors. In this research, a model was developed to help a regional telecommunications company predict throughput for locations using competitive and demand factors. Model results represented a large improvement over internal key performance indicators. Read more below or on MDPI.com.

CBEI Central Wisconsin Fall 2021 Report
“This project was very beneficial to our company—it shows that a diligent effort to learn our business and analyze our data can provide new insights. We are planning several new projects, some of which are quite complex. However, our newly-created data analytics advisory board and our university partnership gives us confidence that we will be successful. Telecommunication is a fast-changing field, and we need data analytics to successfully navigate it.”
Steve SchneiderCEO, Bug Tussel
Profile Photo: Kurt Pflughoeft

Kurt Pflughoeft

  • Sentry Endowed Chair of Computational Analytics
  • Director – Center for Data Analytics
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206 Delzell Hall
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Profile Photo: Nik Butz

Nik Butz

  • Sentry Insurance Endowed Chair of Business Analytics
  • Associate Professor – Management
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233 Delzell Hall
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