Get up in their Business! Cambrian College Analytics Students Help Organizations on Two Continents

SUDBURY – From reducing the cost of damages from California wildfires to implementing a new way to sell theatre performances in England, this year’s class of Cambrian College students from the Business, Crime, and Health Analytics programs are making their mark with organizations well beyond the boundaries of Greater Sudbury.

Every year, Analytics students in their third and final semester undertake a major capstone project to assist an existing organization or company.

“This year, our students have really fanned out across the globe to put their skills to good use and actually help run a business,” explains Sidney Shapiro, Professor and Program Coordinator of Cambrian’s Business and Crime Analytics programs. “We are hearing great feedback from the organizations about the talent and hard work of our students.”

A team of Cambrian Crime Analytics students worked on a project called CrowdDoing with San Francisco-based organizations ReFrame It and Match4Action Foundation to develop a risk analysis model that would allow insurers and governments to invest in forest fire mitigation strategies to reduce the cost of damages from fires.

“Collaborating with CrowdDoing on this project was an incredible experience,” says student Jennifer Foote of Sudbury. “Our particular project involved research and analysis into the prevention of arson-ignited wildfires within California. It was an excellent opportunity to combine everything we have learned in our program.”

One team of Analytics students worked with San Francisco-based 3DHeals on marketing and consumer research and promotional strategies. 3DHeals was formed in 2015 to assist innovators and start-up companies in the field of health-care-related 3D printing and bioprinting.

“My capstone project with 3DHeals gave me the best opportunity to experience what I can achieve as a professional in this field,” says Donna Liza Thampan, an international student from India in Cambrian’s Health Analytics Program. “I am confident that I can perform very well and prove to be a worthy participant in the emerging field of analytics.”

Another group of Analytics students took part in an initiative that utilized Blockchain technology to create the first-ever Non-Fungible Token (NFT) for a theatre performance for a partner organization in London, England. An NFT is a digital currency token that is limited and authenticated, potentially increasing the value of the object.

Other Analytics students helped develop a comprehensive database and analytics model for Kids at Risk Action, a non-profit organization in Kansas City, Missouri, which provides free vision screening to low-income and at-risk youth. The geographic database and analytics model will help Kids at Risk better identify locations and demographic groups who are underserviced. One of the Cambrian students working on the project was Kaylee Smith of Sudbury.

“Working with Kids At Risk Action was a valuable experience that allowed us to apply what we learned throughout the Crime Analysis program, with a specific focus on research and data analysis I am grateful to have been given the chance to contribute.”

“All of our students, not just those in Analytics, receive a huge amount of workplace focused hands-on training and teaching,” adds Professor Sidney Shapiro. “Many of our students are getting snapped up by employers as soon as they graduate, because they are ready to go. They can really compete with analytics students from any college in Ontario.”

Cambrian College has a variety of Business, IT, and Analytics programs, including its one-of-a-kind Computer Programming – Internet of Things program. You can choose from two-year diploma programs, three-year advanced diplomas, and one-year graduate certificate programs.

For more details, visit www.cambriancollege.ca/programs.