Gaining an Inside View of the World of Scientific Research
Thomas Ortega, of Randolph, a mathematics major at County College of Morris (CCM), recently gained some significant recognition when he presented his research as part of a poster session at the Advanced Technological Education National Science Foundation (ATE-NSF) Conference.
Poster sessions are a standard way of presenting research at scientific conferences. To present a poster at a conference, researchers need to apply and gain acceptance to participate.
The poster Ortega presented gave an overview of his research to
find a correlation between the average number of sunspots per year and varying temperatures in the New York region. As part of his studies in data analytics at CCM, he used R programming to create visualizations to understand any similarities between sunspots and temperature counts. The research revolves around observing whether or not temperature is significantly affected by the sun’s electromagnetic energy released on average per year. Along with pursuing his associate degree in mathematics, Ortega is working to earn a Data Analytics Certificate from CCM.
“The area of data science is extremely rewarding,” said Ortega. “Using a computer, you can look at almost any type of data, break it down and create a plethora of beautiful visuals. One of the most satisfying parts of data science is being able to look at something from different perspectives. The power is at our fingertips.”
Two other data analytics students, Maria Londono, of Dover, and Courtney Kreitzer, of Randolph, recently were able to attend the Women in Statistical and Data Science conference.
“I am grateful to have been a part of the Women in Statistics and Data Sciences conference because I learned a lot about the application of data science in the real world and had the opportunity to make connections with many established statisticians,” said Kreitzer.
“Data is everywhere and it can paint new images; interpreting it is like taking apart things that are seen every day and piecing it together,” said Londono. “I am grateful for the opportunity to attend Women in Statistics and Data Science. I learned there is an amazing support community and data can be exciting. I wish to one day enter the field of data science.”
“It is a privilege to work with talented students such as Thomas Ortega, Courtney Kreitzer and Maria Londono as they start their journeys in the area of data science,” said Professor Kelly Fitzpatrick, who designed the Data Analytics Certificate program. “As an undergraduate mathematics major, it was impressive that Thomas’s sunspot research was highlighted during the poster session at the ATE-NSF Conference. We hope that more students will follow in his path.”
CCM received a $235,000 National Science Foundation grant to launch the Data Analytics Certificate program. Included in that grant is funding to provide students with supplemental learning activities, such as conference participation. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the conferences attended by the CCM students were held virtually.
