Kennesaw State University’s Center for Statistics and Analytical Research recently added another corporate partner – Emerson Commercial & Residential Solutions– to its growing roster of collaborating companies.

“Everything we do in analytics and data science at Kennesaw State is firmly grounded in application and real-world problem-solving,” said Jennifer Priestley, associate dean of KSU’s Graduate College. “We are excited to partner with Emerson to launch the Emerson Data Science Research Lab at KSU, which will engage both faculty and students from our Analytics and Data Science programs to investigate data-centric challenges in the area of climate control technology.”

The new partnership includes a $60,000 grant to fund research for Emerson, a global technology and engineering company providing innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial and residential markets.

The research grant will focus on development of advanced analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence for Internet of Things technology for application in commercial buildings, retail and foodservice, and other cold chain applications.

“We are fortunate to have KSU and this great data and analytics capability right on our doorstep,” said Mark Dunson, group president for electronics and solutions with Emerson. “We are excited to match our domain experience in helping customers to address food quality and operational performance in the Cold Chain with cutting edge approaches at KSU. Combining business and education is a powerful catalyst for innovation and furthers our mutual objective of supporting the area’s educational institutions.”

The Center, housed within the Analytics and Data Science Institute in KSU’s Graduate College, engages faculty from across the university to leverage cutting-edge research to address the challenges and opportunities related to big data.

Faculty researchers, Ph.D. students in Analytics and Data Science, and graduate students in various analytical disciplines work on projects related to healthcare, finance, engineering and retail.

Principal Investigator Xiao Huang, professor of economics and finance in KSU’s Coles College of Business, will lead the research as principal investigator. The lab will be supported by Bogdan Godidov, a Ph.D. candidate in KSU’s Analytics and Data Science program.