Goodnight Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Analytics Michael Rappa is returning to the faculty in the Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering, and Bill Rand will be appointed Goodnight Executive Director of the IAA, effective July 1. Senior Vice Provost for Instructional Programs Helen Chen made the announcement today.
“We are thankful to Michael for the strong foundation and leadership that he has provided for the IAA throughout his tenure here,” said Chen. “We wish him well as he returns to the faculty and are excited to welcome Bill to our team.”
Rappa is the founding director of the IAA and leads the nation’s first Master of Science in Analytics as its originator and principal architect. He has been instrumental in the IAA’s success, from the program’s founding in 2006 to its becoming one of the largest and most selective degree programs on campus, with its students among the most sought-after and highly compensated graduates of the university.
Rand is the McLauchlan Distinguished Professor of Marketing and Analytics and the executive director of Business Analytics and AI Initiative in the Department of Business Management in the Poole College of Management. In his new role, he will be responsible for the institute’s overall vision, strategic direction and operational management. His key duties will involve leading academic programs—ensuring curriculum excellence, high-quality student experiences, and effective enrollment management—while also overseeing IAA’s budget, personnel and facilities. Rand will also foster collaboration with faculty departments, which includes facilitating faculty appointments to IAA.
“The Institute for Advanced Analytics created a blueprint for analytics programs in higher education,” said Rand. “I look forward to working with the IAA team to build upon our strengths, strategically integrate the latest advancements in AI, and equip our students with the skills to thrive as in-demand leaders in today’s dynamic and data-driven business environment.”
Rand joined NC State as an assistant professor in the Department of Business Management in the Poole College of Management in 2016. He was named executive director of the college’s Business Analytics Initiative in 2020, and was promoted to professor in 2022. Rand is also a University Faculty Scholar, member of NC State’s Global One Health Academy and a faculty fellow in the Center for Geospatial Analytics. He holds an affiliate faculty position at the Northwestern University Institute on Complex Systems and is a course designer for the Santa Fe Institute and external faculty at the University of Central Florida’s Complex Adaptive Systems Laboratory.
His research examines the use of computational modeling techniques, such as agent-based modeling, machine learning, network analysis, natural language processing and geographic information systems. This helps to understand and analyze complex systems, including the diffusion of information, organizational learning and economic markets. He also works to develop methods, create pedagogy and build frameworks to allow researchers and practitioners to use analytics and data-intensive methods in their own work.
Prior to joining NC State, he served as the director of the Center for Complexity in Business at the University of Maryland, as well as other analytics-related positions. Rand serves on the editorial board for Foundations and Trends in Marketing, is the past social media editor and on the editorial board for the International Journal of Research in Marketing, and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation. He has received the Research Impact Award at the department and college level several times and was recently awarded the Alumni Association’s 2025 Outstanding Research Award.
Rand earned his Bachelor of Science in computer science and Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Michigan State University, and his Master of Science and Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Michigan.
This post was originally published in Provost's Office News.
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