Author: Taylor Mitchell
The Center of excellence in Research and Education for big military Data InTelligence otherwise known as the C.R.E.D.I.T Center is Prairie View A&M University’s premiere graduate level program for the processing and effective sorting of complex data. Funded by the Department of Defense, the C.R.E.D.I.T Center is one of three centers funded by the DoD at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It is a one-stop-shop for engaging students in Big Data education, analytics and solving complex real-time problems for the military.
By funding this center, the DoD has built bridges with the C.R.E.D.I.T Center student body to create a job pathway, engaging and developing student skill and interest in big data analytics by offering summer internships through it’s Big Data Science Program.
The C.R.E.D.I.T Center houses ten students and spearheaded by Dr. Lijun Qian who serves and the Center’s director.
“We would like to continue to use our center to further develop our students in the data field,” Qian said. “Along with the South Big Data Hub and the DoD we have a strong network and can do a lot with one another. The South Big Data Hub can help us and we can help our students.”
Dr. Renata Rawlings-Goss the co-Executive Director of the South Hub gave a keynote speech at the C.R.E.D.I.T Center’s First Workshop of Mission-Critical Big Data Analytics (MCBDA 2016) held at Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, TX). She was presented a plaque by the Department of Defence Program officer for the program Dr. Evelyn Kent. Dr. Rawlings-Goss has now partnered with Dr. Qian on a funded award to expose C.R.E.D.I.T Center students to data-science problems in other sectors. The South Hub will fund graduate students from across the South to participate in the Data Science for Social Good program in Atlanta to partner with nonprofits and local government.
According to Qian, the future success, vast possibilities and the overall student excitement surrounding the C.R.E.D.I.T Center and the development of a complimentary program is what is driving him to continue to dive in head first for the cause and he is extremely excited to see what the coming months hold.
Ms. Kent, DoD HBCU/MI Program Manager, presents certificate to Featured Speaker, Dr. Renata Rawlings-Goss