The International Association for Information and Data Quality (IAIDQ) has issued the first 37 professional certifications for practitioners in the field of information and data quality. Nine of those with first-in-the-world certification are affiliated with UALR’s information quality graduate program.

UALR is the only university in the U.S. offering graduate degrees in information quality, including a graduate certificate, an M.S. degree, as well as a Ph.D. degree in integrated computing with an emphasis in information quality.

In addition to educating students on the UALR campus, the program reaches out to students across the U.S. and internationally through distance education, including students in Brazil, Iceland, Finland, and South Africa.

After three years in design and development, IAIDQ offered its first test to certify information quality personnel in June. The new Information Quality Certified Professional (IQCP) designation is earned through a combination of work experience in the field of information and data quality and successful completion of an examination.

The nine people with ties to the UALR IQ program who are among the first in the world to achieve the IAIDQ professional certification are:

• Dr. Elizabeth Pierce, chair of the UALR Information Science Department.
• Dr. John Talburt, UALR professor and Acxiom chair of information quality.
• Reed Petty, a Federal Express employee who is pursuing his Ph.D. degree.
• Brian Blake, an Acxiom associate who is pursuing his Ph.D. degree.
• Eric Nielsen, who received his MSIQ degree at UALR in 2010 and works for Aera Energy LLC in Bakersfield, Calif.
• Greg Holland, who received his Ph.D. degree in 2010 and works for the Arkansas Department of Education.
• Funso Kumolu, who received his MSIQ degree in 2010 and works for McKesson in Dallas, Texas, a leading health care IT solutions provider and medical supply distributor.
• Val Pushkarev, who received his MISQ degree in 2009 and works for the Arkansas Department of Education.
• Guilherme Rocha, who is in the MSIQ program and owner of System Marketing in São Paulo, Brazil.

The IAIDQ Information Quality Certified Professional (IQCP) is an individual who demonstrates broad expertise in and practical knowledge of information quality principles, concepts, methods, and skills. The certification covers a wide range of topics within six major areas of knowledge considered essential to an information quality professional.

For more information on IQCP eligibility requirements and the application process visit iaidq.org.