Marist Professor to Present Learning Analytics Research at LatinX in AI Conference

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY—Marist professor and predictive analytics and AI expert Eitel Lauría will present research at the LatinX in AI Workshop at the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML 2019). The workshop will be held in Long Beach, California on June 10.

Lauría’s paper “Of Stacks and Muses:  Adventures in Learning Analytics at Marist College” concerns learning analytics. Lauría, professor of Information and Technology Systems at Marist College, designed and developed the predictive analytics engine that drives MUSE (Marist Universal Student Experience), a learning analytics software implemented at Marist in Fall 2018 that utilizes machine learning techniques. MUSE provides early alert and detection of academically at-risk students. The system uses data from previous semesters to train statistical learning models that then make predictions of student academic performance a few weeks into the semester. MUSE uses multiple sources of data to build its models, including learning management system data, course grades and course related data.

“The development of MUSE is a success story,” said Lauría. “This is a case where academics and the College’s Information Technology office came together to transform cutting-edge research in learning analytics into a practical application for use by instructors and administrators, where technology in the form of predictive analytics can be used to help prompt a very human response to ensure student success.”

The LatinX in AI Coalition (LXAI) bridges communities, academics, industry, and politicians working to further AI innovation and resources for LatinX individuals globally. According to the group’s website they host “research workshops at AI academic conferences, drive and support research, development, and infrastructure programs to boost innovation and capabilities of Latin Americans working in Artificial Intelligence.”

Lauría has worked in the IS/IT industry for more than 20 years, serving as a technology consultant to IBM, Microsoft, ExxonMobil, Reuters, Hewlett Packard, GE Global Research, and the World Bank among other global corporations. Dr. Lauría’s research has been published in a number of prestigious journals, including Decision Support Systems, the European Journal of Operational Research, the Journal of Learning Analytics, Expert Systems with Applications, and the ACM Journal of Data and Information Quality.

About Marist

Located on the banks of the historic Hudson River, in midtown Manhattan, and at its Florence, Italy campus, Marist College is a comprehensive, independent institution grounded in the liberal arts. Its mission is to “help students develop the intellect, character, and skills required for enlightened, ethical, and productive lives in the global community of the 21st century.” Marist is consistently recognized for excellence by The Princeton Review (Colleges That Create Futures and The Best 384 Colleges), U.S. News & World Report (8^th Best Regional University/North, 2^nd Most Innovative School/North), Kiplinger’s Personal Finance (“Best College Values”), and others. The College is top-ranked for long-term study abroad (#7 in the U.S.) by the U.S. State Department’s Open Doors report. Marist educates more than 5,000 traditional-age undergraduate students and 1,400 adult and graduate students in 47 undergraduate majors and numerous graduate programs, including fully online MBA, MPA, MS, and MA degrees, and also Doctor of Physical Therapy and Physician Assistant programs. Pending accreditation approval, the College plans to open the Marist Health Quest School of Medicine in 2022. www.marist.edu