Click to learn more about author Steve Miller. I met up with a grad school friend of 40 years the other day. While he earned a doctorate and became an academic luminary, I departed the program with a masters in statistical science and went on first to the not-for-profit and then to the business worlds. […]
Presidents and Stock Markets with R
Click to learn more about author Steve Miller. My suburban Chicago neighbors and I were at it again, discussing politics, the economy, and the stock market at an end-of-summer barbecue. Though there’s little support for the current POTUS, the group is differentiated red from blue economically, and discussions are generally quite lively. On the one […]
Chicago Crime Q2, 2018 Update
Click to learn more about author Steve Miller. In my April blog, I reported an update on violent crime in Chicago from January 2001 through March 2018. This is a continuation of analysis I’ve regularly conducted, born of concern for the staggering 50+% increase in Chicago homicides in 2016 from 2015, along with an only […]
Data Science Compensation Survey
Click to learn more about author Steve Miller. I recently came across an article in Forbes on the salaries of Data Scientists. The piece summarized findings from the just-published 5th-annual Burtch Works Study: Salaries of Data Scientists. The study is generally well-done, providing insight into trends and breakdowns of compensation for Data Science professionals. I […]
Computational Social Science
Click to learn more about author Steve Miller. It seems I write something on the nature of Data Science every year. Early on, my take on DS was in motion, but now it’s much more grounded. My points of Data Science departure are the iconic “what is DS” pronouncements from Drew Conway and David Donoho. […]
Chicago Homicides 2018, a Second Look with R
Click to learn more about author Steve Miller. A year ago, I posted a blog on the disturbing 57% increase in Chicago homicides for 2016. There’s been no shortage of loaded commentary since, including strong if misinformed statements by the POTUS. A bit more balanced perspective was provided by fivethiryeight. There can be no denying […]
Methodically Reproducible Data in 2018
Click to learn more about author Steve Miller. I generally establish a theme to my involvement early on when I attend Strata Data. Missing only last year, I’ve been witness to Strata’s large breadth of topics. The last few years have included deep dives into the then new Spark platform and iPython notebook (now Jupyter […]
Jobs, Education, and R
Click to learn more about author Steve Miller. I came across a jaw-dropping article from the Brookings think tank two weeks ago. The column noted that “household employment data reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that Americans with college degrees can account for all of the net new jobs created over the […]
Evidence or Politics – the Skeptic Seeks Answers with R
Click to learn more about author Steve Miller. I’m often asked about the skillsets of top analytics professionals/Data Scientists. My response is always a deep background in statistics and Machine Learning in addition to strong capabilities in Data Management and computation. On the less technical side is knowledge of the business (or other) environment plus […]
RPI’s and R: Evaluating Performance of NCAA Athletic Conferences
Click to learn more about author Steve Miller. It’s Fall championship time for NCAA D1 college sports. On Sunday 12/3, college football announced its final four to commence New Year’s day, and other championship tournaments such as men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball are currently in progress. A major challenge before the start of […]