The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT) will host the 10th anniversary celebration for the world’s first graduate program in information quality on Friday, Sept. 30.

In 2006, three data quality leaders had a vision to establish the world’s first graduate degree program in information quality at UALR. They included Richard Wang, co-director for MIT’s Total Data Quality Management Program, Dr. Mary Good, founding dean of the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology, and Charles Morgan, then company leader of Acxiom Corporation.

The leaders worked with UALR information science professors Elizabeth Pierce and John Talburt and Yang Lee, associate professor at Northeastern University, to help realize the vision of this unique UALR graduate program focused on information quality skills, techniques, and tools.

Since then, advanced students from throughout the world have completed more than 200 degrees, earning industry jobs in top companies such as Google, IBM, and CITI.

“The quality of the data is key to the success of today’s businesses. Ten years ago, a few people had the foresight to start a program in data quality,” said Lawrence Whitman, dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology. “That program has graduated many students who are now leaders of industry.”

The 10-year celebration will begin at 1 p.m. Sept. 30 with a welcome by Chancellor Andrew Rogerson followed by a panel featuring the founders of the graduate program.

Alumni of the Information Quality Graduate Program will be recognized during a ceremony at 1:40 p.m.

The inauguration of the Institute for Chief Data Officers, the first academic institute devoted solely to the professional development of chief data officers, will begin at 2:40 p.m. Mark Ramsey, chief data officer of GlaxoSmithKline, will deliver the keynote address at 2:50 p.m.

In advance of its 10th anniversary, the information quality program is also celebrating the first training program offered by UALR and MIT’s joint Institute for Chief Data Officers Sept. 26-29 at UALR. The International Society of Chief Data Officers has also entered into a partnership with the new institute.

The workshop, “Foundations for Chief Data Officers,” will cover the definition and landscape of chief data officers, introductions to big data concepts, data analytics, data integration, and data policy, strategy, and governance.

A unique program in the heart of Arkansas

Information quality is an emerging discipline concerned with maximizing the value of an organization’s information assets while minimizing risk, and assuring information products produced by the organization create value for customers.

The graduate program began by offering  a 33-credit master’s degree. Enrollees now have the option to pursue a 12-credit graduate certificate or a 75-credit track in the Integrated Computing Ph.D. program.

For more information, contact Nihal Erian at nserian@ualr.edu or 501.682.8029. Visit the information quality website for a complete schedule of events.