University of Bridgeport Analytics Students Help Stratford Tech Start-Up Launch Pilot Program
MS Analytics Students gained hands-on experience serving as Foot Traffic Stats' data analytics team
Bridgeport, CT (07/25/2023) — Students in University of Bridgeport's (UB) MS Analytics program recently helped Stratford tech start-up Foot Traffic Stats launch a pilot program to test its innovative consumer analysis technology. The students deployed IoT sensors developed by the start-up around campus, focusing on high-traffic areas that could offer insights into foot traffic patterns. The team's two-pronged approach provided data analysis support for the small tech company while giving the students real-world experience in the field.
Under the guidance of Assistant Professor Ali Baker, Ph.D., students in his Foundations of Business Analytics course became Foot Traffic Stats' dedicated analytics team, helping the start-up work through their data gathering and dashboard development during the 2023 spring semester - a project that will continue into the fall 2023 semester with Dr. Baker's incoming foundations class taking up the project at the start of the term.
"This was an experiential learning opportunity for the students where they applied concepts such as project management, data movement, and analytics development throughout the semester," said Dr. Baker.
Foot Traffic Stats co-founders Frank Kuchinski and Matt Kern developed the concept for their sensors after observing the need for small businesses, municipalities, and other organizations to understand the foot traffic patterns around their businesses and events. To test the product out, though, they'd need a team able to implement and measure the sensors' data in a number of high-traffic areas. To accomplish this, the duo connected with Dr. Baker, whose students deployed six devices throughout the school's campus, using a custom-created dashboard via Power BI to track, aggregate, and better understand the devices' recordings. "This is the first pilot project we've been able to get off the ground," said Kern. "With UB's contributions, we were able to get our prototype dashboard established while learning some areas to improve our devices."
Kuchinski and Kern emphasized that UB faculty, staff, and students make it effortless for companies like theirs to work with UB. Because of the faculty's willingness to collaborate with local businesses and pivot in their course design to integrate those groups' needs into the curricula, Foot Traffic Stats was able to undertake their largest demonstration of their product to date, getting them that much closer to production and commercialization. This collaborative effort highlights UB's commitment to equipping students with practical skills and real-world applications of their education.
Thanks to UB's faculty and their network of colleagues and partners within surrounding communities, opportunities to provide experiential learning experiences are becoming the norm within UB's career-focused programming - helping graduates enter the workforce prepared with valuable and transferrable skills.
For more information about University of Bridgeport's career-focused programs and community partnerships, visit www.bridgeport.edu.