CSC News
NC State and SAS Partner to Tackle Major Analytics Challenges
Tracey Peake | News Services | 919.515.6142
North Carolina State University Chancellor Randy Woodson and SAS CEO Jim Goodnight today announced the signing of an innovative new partnership that will better enable collaborative research in the areas of computer science and data analysis.SAS sponsorships will support academic opportunities for NC State professors and students and bolster the university’s reputation as a top research institution.
“NC State is grateful to have a partner like SAS that has long supported our vision to build the preeminent research enterprise in higher education where business, industry and government come together to address the grand challenges of society,” Woodson said. “This agreement expands our ability to drive research, share technology and enhance academic opportunities for our students for many years to come.”
While specific projects have not been named, the partnership is expected to address the areas of cyber security, big data, text analytics, data visualization and sensors and health-monitoring technologies.
This agreement is the latest in a long relationship between two of the largest employers in North Carolina. The master research agreement simplifies sponsored research by setting terms regarding intellectual property, cost and scope of work.
SAS, one of the world’s largest privately held software companies, emerged from NC State’s Department of Statistics in the 1970s. Since then, SAS has provided support for education and research at NC State through student scholarships and endowed professorships.
“NC State has been a vital source of talent and innovation for SAS since our beginning,” said Goodnight. “We are investing in new areas of research by supporting some of the brightest talent in academia, and accelerating innovation in the analytics space.”
SAS funded the nation’s first Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree at NC State, and has provided significant support for the William and Ida Friday Institute in the College of Education. NC State’s math and statistics building, SAS Hall, is named in honor of SAS’ founders, Goodnight and Executive Vice President John Sall.
“Both organizations are now better positioned to benefit from the fruits of their research more quickly,” said Terri Lomax, NC State vice chancellor for research, innovation and economic development. “This agreement further establishes NC State as a leader in industry partnerships focused on results-driven research and providing students with relevant opportunities to put learning into practice.”
While SAS is used at more than 3,000 institutions worldwide for teaching, research and administration, this is the first master research agreement the company has entered into with a university.
About SAS
SAS is the leader in business analytics software and services, and the largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market. Through innovative solutions, SAS helps customers at more than 70,000 sites improve performance and deliver value by making better decisions faster. Since 1976 SAS has been giving customers around the world The Power to Know®.
SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2014 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.
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