Colin Ackerman

Background

Colin Ackerman is on the faculty of the Department of Data Science and holds a Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Before Porter, Colin was a research analyst at an economic policy institute.

Colin's research focuses on statistical modeling, with related work in data engineering and pipelines; undergraduates are involved in the lab most terms.

Areas of expertise

• Statistical modeling
• Data engineering and pipelines
• Undergraduate research and project mentoring

Teaching

Colin regularly teaches courses in Data Science, Applied Mathematics. Specific sections and syllabi are listed in the class schedule each term.

Courses lean on current problems from the field: students read recent work, reproduce a result or method, and then extend it. Colin builds in low-stakes practice before graded work and gives written feedback on drafts.

Advising and office hours

Colin advises students in the Data Science programs and holds weekly office hours during the fall and spring terms, posted on the office door and in the course pages. Prospective students are welcome to email to arrange a visit or a call.

Advising conversations usually cover course sequencing, whether to add a minor or a concentration, and how classroom work connects to internships, research, or graduate study. Students who are undecided are welcome; part of the job is helping them narrow things down.

Recent and representative work

Colin's recent activity is a mix of peer-reviewed work, conference talks, and student-involved projects in statistical modeling and data engineering and pipelines. Representative items:

• A peer-reviewed article on statistical modeling in a disciplinary journal.
• A conference paper on data engineering and pipelines, co-authored with an undergraduate researcher.
• An internally funded project applying statistical modeling to a regional partner's problem.

Titles and venues here are illustrative. UW–Porter Falls is fictional; Colin has no real publication record.

Get in touch

The fastest way to reach Colin is email (cackerman@uwporterfalls.edu); messages during the fall and spring terms are usually answered within two business days. Prospective students and families can ask the Data Science department office to set up a call, a class visit, or a meeting during an admitted-student day.