University at Buffalo School of Management

Spring 2023 Buffalo Business 13 " The moment your information is compromised, you're less likely to do business with that organization. But if you're going through a health event, the last thing you want to deal with is a privacy breach that's going to distract you from your treatment regimen. JEREMY WALCZAK, BS '99 Chief Information Security Officer GenesisCare " Defining the future of management As the School of Management prepares the next generation of leaders, Iyer has big plans for big data in the classroom, from marketing to management information systems. "Cybersecurity is something that we need to expose our students to so they have an understanding of what it means to protect data," says Iyer. "We will also teach students to think about fair data sharing — there will be a big opportunity once they're out in the working world to educate consumers so their willingness to share is respected and trust is built." Today, he says students have access to huge data sets that can bring their schoolwork to life. "Through COVID, each time there were shutdowns or new rules implemented, students were able to use data sets to see the impact by state or municipality," says Iyer. "That's the kind of data that makes an impact in the class- room — because you can write a bunch of formulas on a board, but when students see it manifest and what actually happens, it's a completely different ballgame." In the years ahead, Iyer envisions a learning environ- ment where students can access digital replicas of compa- nies and their products in virtual reality, or immerse themselves in data with special glasses. "Historically, when you think about data you think about spreadsheets," he says. "But with special glasses you can be put in front of a wall where you can click on a data point and then walk through and analyze everything. Or in virtual reality, you can analyze high fidelity 'digital twins' of, say, a jet engine to figure out where a repair should be. Those are the kinds of things that make learning incredi- bly exciting." " We will also teach students to think about fair data sharing — there will be a big opportunity once they're out in the working world to educate consumers so their willingness to share is respected and trust is built. ANANTH IYER Professor and Dean School of Management "

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