SJC Student Selected for Microsoft Data Science Summer Program

August 26, 2014

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – AUGUST 26, 2014  – St. Joseph’s College (SJC) is pleased to announce that Franky Rodriguez, a junior on the College’s Brooklyn Campus, was selected to participate in the highly competitive Microsoft Data Science Summer Program, which is reserved for the brightest minds in mathematics and computer science in New York City.

A double major in mathematics and computer information systems, Rodriguez was presented with a $5,000 stipend and a computer for his participation in the program, which ran from June 16 to August 8. As part of his experience, Rodriguez and his team, took all-day intensive classes with some of the best researchers in the country and gained in-depth insights on data collecting, data cleaning and, most importantly, data analysis. 

“Franky is one of the brightest minds I have encountered throughout my teaching career,” said David Seppala-Holtzman, Ph.D., professor of mathematics and computer information systems on SJC’s Brooklyn Campus. “His academic achievements are nothing short of extraordinary, and we are incredibly proud of his selection into this year’s class of Microsoft scholars.”

Rodriguez and his team were tasked with analyzing data released by the Citi Bike℠ system, operated by NYC Bike Share, which features thousands of bikes at hundreds of stations around New York. The students were able to generate an algorithm that provides for the orderly and logical re-distribution of bicycles. Currently, Citi Bike℠ spends large sums of money for workers to drive around in trucks and manually load bicycles. 

Prior to attending SJC, Rodriguez graduated from Coral Reef High School in Miami, Florida. Rodriguez’s research interests are rooted in the practical application of mathematics and computational science to help and impact people and society. Upon graduating from SJC, he aims to enroll in graduate school and earn a degree in either data science or mathematics. He hopes to become a college instructor in his spare time.

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH'S COLLEGE
St. Joseph's College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility, and service. With campuses located in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn and in Patchogue, Long Island, the College offers degrees in more than 29 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs.