SGI makes generous donation to the U of R for advancing data science

Meeting industry demands with career-ready grads

Responding to industry demands, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) has made a generous donation of $1.5 million over 10 years to the University of Regina to support undergraduate programming in data science.

SGI’s gift includes funding for the creation of a new faculty position in the Faculty of Science – the SGI Assistant or Associate Professor in Data Science. The faculty member in this position will lead the development of the University of Regina’s new undergraduate degree program in Data Science and develop hands-on learning opportunities through co-operative work-study and internship programs.

SGI’s team of data scientists is vitally important to our company. They help to guide the decisions we make on a variety of topics.  — Penny McCune, President and CEO at SGI

“This donation marks more than 30 years of partnership between the University of Regina and SGI – a partnership which has led to innovative programming and research and hands-on learning opportunities for countless students over the past few decades,” said Dr. Jeff Keshen, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Regina. “Our organizations have a shared commitment to Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan and developing career-ready graduates in data science to help meet industry demands, and this remarkable and forward-looking enhancement to our academic programming will be of long-term benefit for our students and our province as a whole.”

Uniquely qualified

Both the U of R and SGI recognize the province’s need for expertise in the area of data analytics, and qualified graduates in data science are in high demand. With the support of SGI, the U of R is uniquely equipped to provide this programming to post-secondary students and, together, meet the needs of industry.

“Not only does this funding help to provide an enhanced education for students, but it also cascades to many businesses in this province who employ people in the data science field,” said Penny McCune, President and CEO at SGI. “SGI’s team of data scientists is vitally important to our company. They help to guide the decisions we make on a variety of topics.
 

Building on a solid foundation

In 2021, the University and SGI partnered to create the SGI Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Data Science program, and have since established a Masters of Computer Science (Data Science) program, which to date has graduated 18 students and another 43 are expected to graduate in the coming two years. The Bachelor of Science in Data Science program launched in Fall 2022 and has already attracted 13 undergraduate students who have declared Data Science as their major.
 
Isaac Wegner is one such student.
 
“I chose data science as my major because I love the focus on structuring computer programs for data analysis and understanding how to extract insights and knowledge from data sets,” said Wegner, who is in his first year. “I'm hoping on working with machine learning post-grad.”

Find out more about the high-demand Bachelor of Science in Data Science program.

Modern society is data-driven, making data one of the world’s most valuable resources, and those who work with it, much sought after.

“The U of R has a strong track record of developing programs that create home-grown expertise in important niche areas, such as we have done in the past with science and with what we aim to do in future with data science,” explained Dr. Douglas Farenick, Dean of the Faculty of Science. “To meet our province’s needs for career-ready graduates in these areas, the new BSc in Data Science will over time produce graduates who transform how many companies operate, with mathematical analysis as part of their primary activities, and our students will be at the forefront of this transformation.”

Banner photo: (L to R) Mr. Muhammad Fiaz, M.L.A. for Regina Pasqua, Dr. Douglas Farenick, Dean of the Faculty of Science, Penny McCune, President and CEO at SGI, Honourable Gordon Wyant, K.C., Minister of Advanced Education, Dr. Isabelle Dostaler, Provost and Vice-President (Academic), and Dr. Jeff Keshen, President and Vice-Chancellor. Credit: University of Regina Photography.