A Strategic Expansion: Drexel LeBow’s Center for Business Analytics Becomes the Center for Applied AI and Business Analytics
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way companies operate and transforming the use of data to derive value and make business decisions. As organizations aim to thrive, the need for knowledge and talent becomes more critical for businesses to grow and succeed.
As a strategic response to these changes, Drexel LeBow’s Center for Business Analytics has become the Center for Applied AI and Business Analytics. With this evolution, the breadth of the Center’s reach will expand, increasing opportunities for new skill development, industry partnerships, knowledge generation and business impact. The decision to incorporate applied AI with business analytics reflects the Center’s commitment to staying aligned with industry needs and providing students with the most relevant and forward-looking education.
“The expanded Center will continue to connect students, practitioners, researchers and educators — not just to prepare for a technology-driven future, but to shape it,” said Diana Jones, executive director of the Center for Applied AI and Business Analytics. “The evolution brings LeBow expertise to the forefront, highlighting the synergistic relationship between AI and analytics and their impact on business.”
The Center is already a successful hub for academic and industry collaboration on analytics. Through knowledge and practical experience, the Center offers students the opportunity to learn and apply practices that drive business outcomes. Prioritizing a business-focused approach, the addition of “applied” in the Center’s name underscores the practical orientation of its portfolio.
“The Center’s emphasis on business application challenges people to think differently — combining human intelligence with technological insights,” said Murugan Anandarajan, PhD, academic director of the Center for Applied AI and Business Analytics, and senior associate dean of academic programs and faculty affairs. “In an increasingly complex world, the Center reinforces AI and analytics not as buzzwords, but as catalysts for business transformation.”
The Center will continue to build upon a robust network of industry partnerships, which have engaged more than 500 companies across the nation. In addition to its signature initiatives such as the Drexel LeBow Analytics 50 awards, data-driven student projects for companies and STEM education for youth, the Center will introduce new offerings, including the Business of AI and Analytics Exchange, applied AI student workshops and expanded areas of applied research, such as AI readiness, and data and AI literacy.
The Center’s rebranding process garnered feedback from its advisory council of AI and analytics leaders — spanning various industries and locations — whose input was instrumental in aligning the Center’s vision with the evolving needs of the market.
“We are constantly looking for new talent that brings emerging skillsets to drive real business value. Marrying new AI technologies with an approach that teaches students how to practically apply their knowledge to business challenges will be a competitive differentiator for Drexel LeBow students as they enter the workforce,” said Andrea Le, VP, Electronics & Industrial CIO and Enterprise Technology at DuPont.
Empowering students and companies with new skills, insights and experiences, the Center for Applied AI and Business Analytics is poised to influence the future of business and education.
