Seton Hall welcomes experts in Big Data and FinTech at annual symposium

Manfred Minimair, professor of mathematics and computer science and chair of the 2023 NJBDA Symposium, welcomes the audience to the event.

On May 9, Seton Hall University hosted the 10th Annual New Jersey Big Data Alliance (NJBDA) Symposium, which is the state’s preeminent big data and advanced computing conference. NJBDA is an alliance of 18 higher education institutions, industry and government members that catalyze collaboration in advanced computing and data analytics research, education and technology.

This year’s event theme, “Big Data in FinTech,” focused on the opportunities in new developments in the financial industry created by big data and financial technology. Funding for the symposium was provided by the US Economic Development Administration.

“We were thrilled to host the 10th annual New Jersey Big Data Alliance Symposium,” said Seton Hall Provost Katia Passerini, Ph.D. “This event is a wonderful opportunity for our community of students, faculty and industry partners to come together and explore the exciting developments in big data and advanced computing. The University is proud to be a member of the NJBDA and to support its efforts to catalyze collaboration and drive innovation in this important field.”

The symposium attracted more than 150 people, including business people, New Jersey government representatives focused on economic development, and professors, students and staff from NJ colleges and universities.

The event featured three speakers who shared information, insight and knowledge relevant and valuable to the event and the audience. George Calhoun, Professor, Founding Director of the Quantitative Finance Program and Executive Director of the Hanlon Financial Systems Center at Stevens Institute of Technology spoke about the challenges and action steps to grow the state of New Jersey into a FinTech economic center. Prudential Financial’s Chief Data Officer Kjersten Moody spoke about the vast career opportunities for data scientists and the skills needed in the workplace. Marc Rind, Chief Technology Officer data at Fiserv spoke about the opportunities for innovation in FinTech and how to manage teams including data scientists and domain experts creating new data products.

A panel on AI and machine learning applications focused on the challenges and benefits of using these disruptive technologies for better business intelligence for customers, more informed decision making and improved risk management and lower costs. Read more about this topic, as covered by InformationWeek.

Additional sessions covered a range of relevant topics such as workforce skills, regulatory issues and cyber security. Participants explored the education and training of a Big Data Workforce focusing on Big Data in FinTech; gained insight into cutting-edge research at New Jersey’s premier academic institutions; attended relevant and valuable workshops, and networked with industry, government, academic leaders and New Jersey Big Data Alliance members.

“The symposium provided an excellent forum for professionals and students to network and learn about the latest developments in Big Data and FinTech. Participants were able to make new professional connections to advance their careers, institutions and businesses, which was a major goal of symposium, says Manfred Minimair, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Seton Hall, who also served as chair of the 2023 NJBDA Symposium. The event proved successful in achieving its goal of giving participants the opportunity to explore cutting-edge research, gain insight into relevant topics, participate in workshops and network with industry, government, academic leaders and New Jersey Big Data Alliance members.

The NJBDA symposium is held annually, and the venue rotates among the partners in the NJBDA. Previous hosts include the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Kean University, New Jersey City University, The College of New Jersey, Montclair State University, Rowan University and Rutgers University.

Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Affairs Matthew Hale, who also serves as President of the NJBDA, and Professor Minimair greet keynote speaker Kjersten Moody, Prudential Financial’s Chief Data Officer.

“It’s exciting to have a 10-year anniversary, but even more exciting is thinking about where NJBDA, New Jersey, and our various fields will be in the next 10 years. It’s going to be a fun ride,” said Matthew Hale , Ph.D., president of the New Jersey Big Data Alliance. “Seton Hall is really well positioned to be a leader in the state not only in FinTech, but in many aspects of data analytics,” continued Hale, who is also an associate professor of political science and public affairs at Seton Hall.

Click here to see photos from the event.