Hartford Business Journal

13 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JANUARY 17, 2022 Data science majors can land these types of jobs: ■ Data scientist ■ Business system analyst ■ Data engineer ■ Data mining engineer ■ Statistician ■ Computer science analyst ■ Software developer ■ Database administrator ■ Data manager Source: UConn decade. Job website Glassdoor recently listed more than 200 data analytics positions available just in Connecticut. The industry pays well, too. The average salary for data scientists in Connecticut is about $101,424 annually, according to Indeed. Tom Rechen, a Hartford partner with law firm McCarter & English who specializes in intellectual property and business litigation, said his clients desperately need people with data science expertise. He referred to a 2018 Forbes article that said 90% of the data available in the world at that time had been created in the prior two years. "We are creating data at such an astounding rate … and we need people who can analyze it, collect it, understand it, and make decisions based on it," Rechen said. Rechen said one of the industries with the biggest need for data science experts is insurance, which deals with troves of data points related to claims, investment portfolios and other areas. "You need a data science person to design the software, the algorithms, that allow for insurance companies, or any company, to evaluate and measure their holdings … and report it on a seconds notice," he said. UConn Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Carl Lejuez said the university expects significant demand for its new 30-credit data science program. The school hopes to have 425 in-person and online students enrolled by the fall of 2026. Lejuez said UConn decided to move forward with the program following extensive market research of state, regional and national labor market and workforce development needs. The program will have an interdisciplinary approach with courses in five different colleges, including the schools of business, engineering and liberal arts and sciences, which will make it unique, he said. The data science field is extremely competitive and attracting top students, Lejuez said. "Five years from now, I see our program as being one of the best nationally and also attractive internationally," Lejuez said. Insurers in need College leaders say partnerships with private sector companies are in the works and internship opportunities with local employers will be key to keeping graduates in Connecticut. Property and casualty insurer Travelers Cos., which has a major presence in downtown Hartford, is one company in need of more data science college graduates. "We'd be thrilled to recruit out of Connecticut; anything we can do to make the economy of Hartford and the state better will be good for all us," said Mojgan Lefebvre, Travelers' executive vice president and chief technology and operations officer. "Those universities in Connecticut [with data science programs] are getting it and are doing the right thing. We look forward to hiring many of the great graduates they will produce." Lefebvre said Travelers employs about 30,000 people worldwide, including 1,500 who work in data- related fields like actuaries, data scientists and data engineers. "Data science is really the core to what we are doing," she said. "We are constantly looking to interpret data, while also protecting our clients. We want to hire more people and grow this capability." Meantime, one focus of the data science programs is to ensure there is more gender diversity in the field, which tends to be male-dominated. Fei Xue, chairperson of the mathematics department at the University of Hartford's college of arts and sciences, said he encourages women applicants to consider a data science career. The school won't launch its data science major until this fall, but it has offered a minor in the field for two years. "In my own experience, women students are very good in science and do well in data science and mathematics," Xue said. Thomas Rechen Mojgan Lefebvre Fei Xue Purchase a group subscription for your team or entire organization. Get access to HBJ for your entire team! EMAIL>> CIRCULATION@HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM

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