Yidong’s Story
Yidong, data scientist
With Excelsior since 2013
Education
- PhD. in Industrial Engineering
- Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management
Professional Background
I started my career in the operations research and analytics field, which provides Analytics-as-a-Service (AaaS) for clients in various industries including retail, auto manufacturing and financial services. I have seen how big data and analytics guided the strategic and operation decisions of those big firms, and how business insights, generated from big data and analytic process, provide competitive advantages to those companies.
My Excelsior Journey
My journey with Excelsior is quite simple: it was the right opportunity at the right time. Back in school I wanted to become a college professor, someone who does research and educates students. I was also quite interested in the field of big data and analytics. A job Excelsior helped me to fulfilled both wishes.
What I Do
- Establish the standard procedures for analytic model development and production in a linux environment.
- Develop, test, deploy and maintain analytic products to support daily college operations.
- Support emerging ad hoc analytic projects.
How I Help Students
Many of my projects are related to our Student Success Center. The analytic products include machine learning models, and dashboards which can help to identify at-risk students, and prioritize our work. This makes sure every student receive the right service at the right moment. In addition, the management team can also use various dashboard product to identify the strength and weakness in our current services and improve our student service in future. My wish is that big data and analytics can empower Excelsior to identify the unique needs of each individual student and provide the customized service at scale to ensure their success.
What I Like Best About Working At Excelsior
The people at Excelsior are the best.
