Alan Socha
Business and Technology Applications/Analyst
Alan Socha is a Business and Technology Applications/Analyst with the Office of Institutional Research and Planning within the Chancellor's Office. Alan's role with the office is to maintain a SAS report library, assist the director of assessment, assist in identifying criteria for program and unit reviews, respond to ad hoc requests, assist the director of Institutional Research and Planning, provide committee support, provide statistical support, and complete and analyze survey and student systems data.
Before arriving at Western Carolina University in February 2006, Alan attended The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) where he majored in Mathematical Statistics and minored in Computer Science and Economics. As an undergraduate, Alan learned and applied various statistical techniques and programming languages. Alan's statistical background lies with regression analysis, econometrics, time series and forecasting, applied multivariate methods, design of experiments, and sampling and nonparametric statistics. Alan's programming backgrounds includes Visual Basic C++, Java, SAS, FOCUS, HTML, and JavaScript. Alan held various independent studies which allowed him to join his statistical and programming knowledge. Alan plans on getting a Masters at Western in General Experimental Psychology and intends to stay in higher education in the field of Institutional Research.
While at TCNJ, Alan has worked at various jobs and research projects as an undergraduate. His first was as a Help Desk Technician for Information Technology, where he provided first-level technical support for an 8,000+ user network. This job allowed Alan to learn about databases, queries, and get into Microsoft Access allowing him to next get involved with the Mathematics and Statistics Department at TCNJ working with the department chair as a Program Coordinator. As Program Coordinator, he designed, created, and maintained Microsoft Access databases to track alumni of the department and placement scores for incoming students. Alan also helped administer surveys to alumni to measure satisfaction and receive feedback on TCNJ and the department. Alan also did Visual Basic programming for the department.
While working as Program Coordinator, Alan received word of a Research Assistant job in the School of Science. Alan was hired for this position to conduct statistical research on current students and alumni of the Collegebound Program in order to determine predictors of college success and persistency and assess efficacy of the program. It was this project which introduced Alan to the field of Institutional Research and helped Alan get his first foot in the door. While working in the Office of Institutional Research at TCNJ, Alan conducted various research projects. These projects included assessing general chemistry course sequence efficacy and predicting at risk students, assessing academic writing course efficacy and determining impact on student learning, as well as undertaking various statistical techniques and activities to respond to ad hoc requests from the campus community. While working for the Office of Institutional Research, Alan also worked for the Office of Financial Aid doing data analysis, reporting, FOCUS programming, Visual Basic programming, and working with Microsoft Access.
Alan currently lives in Cullowhee and in his free time enjoys listening to music, watching movies, hanging out with friends, traveling, fishing, boating, hiking, playing his trumpet and clarinet, and fencing.