UALR unveils ‘game changer’ analytics center

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe and officials with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock announced Monday (June 3) the opening of a more than $5 million analytics center that is being labeled a “game changer” for economic development and higher education in Arkansas.

UALR Chancellor Joel Anderson and Beebe unveiled the opening of the new UALR George W. Donaghey Emerging Analytics Center (EAC). The EAC’s goal is to provide competitive, visionary data solutions for the region and state in an academic environment.

The EAC, located on the fourth floor of UALR’s Engineering and Information Technology building, features data visualization systems that are among the first of their kind in the world. The EAC has three development and promotional partnerships, Mechdyne Corporation, HP, and Today’s Office.
 
These systems, including the EmergiFLEX and the Mobile EmergiFLEX systems, were custom designed and built for UALR by Mechdyne Corp, a leading provider of visual information technologies based in Marshalltown, Iowa.
 
A number of technologies are integrated for the EAC to serve a diverse group, including partners in business, sciences, healthcare, education, and engineering, according to a statement from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

Linked through fiber optics to UALR’s Computational Research Center, the facility includes 35 screens and monitors with more than 50 million pixels offering high definition resolution for both 2D and 3D applications.
 
Unique features include a massive, 24 screen reconfigurable video wall providing 3D data immersion with additional 3D floor projection; the latest haptic interface technology to “touch” the data with force feedback sensations; and advanced video collaboration tools that include new robotic “telepresence” equipment.

Made possible by a grant of more than $5 million from the George W. Donaghey Foundation, the EAC is led by Dr. Mary Good, UALR special advisor to the chancellor for economic development. The grant provides funding for a full-time, post-doctoral staff member working in data science, two specialized graduate students, and technical and operational support personnel.

“The EAC and its potential to positively impact on large and small businesses in Arkansas are critical to our state’s economic growth,” she said. “It will give all of us a competitive edge and position us for a bright future in the era of big data.”
 
According to Good, big data provides the next frontier in discovery, business and society, as more data is produced, stored and analyzed. New U.S. federal research programs at the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Health and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency are aimed at analyzing and using the flood of available information.

“The Emerging Analytics Center is a visionary initiative to capitalize on the growing demand for data-driven solutions in both the public and private sectors,” Beebe said in the statement. “The center will also be an important tool for economic development by helping us target new and expanding industries as we work to create Arkansas jobs.”
 
The center will use the faculty and resources of UALR’s academic offerings and research in advanced data science and data analytics, which already include advanced computational research, information quality, and virtual reality (3-D immersive environments). In addition, there will be a statewide set of activities for education and economic development.
 
Also on Monday, Grant Tennille, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, introduced the center’s new Data Science Advisory Board. The board is comprised of regional and national leaders from academia, industry, and government working to provide ongoing input for the center. The board members are:
• Good:
• Michael Armistead, U.S. sales manager for Hewlett-Packard;
• Nick Brown, president and CEO, Southwest Power Pool;
• Christopher Clover, CEO Mechdyne Corp.;
• Dr. Carolina Cruz-Neira; University of Louisiana at Lafayette;
• Mike Hodapp, director of eCommerce and digital marketing, Dillard’s
• Debbie Gracio; Battele-Pacific Northwest National Laboratory;
• David Hollenbach, president and CEO, DSoft Technology;
• Charlie Lambert; president, SkySentry
• Dr. Melinda Montgomery; Entergy Arkansas
• Dr. Phil Mui, Acxiom, chief product and engineering officer;
• Dr. T. Glenn Pait, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences;
• Dr. William Raduchel, technology advisor;
• Dr. William Slikker, National Center for Toxicological Research;
• Tennille; and,
• Dr. Henry Tufo, University of Colorado at Boulder.