On most spring Fridays in the Ettinger Finance Lab, students gather to learn (and, for more experienced students, to teach). They’re working with the programming language Python and the visual analytics platform Tableau, and learning advanced skills in Excel. These free workshops, which are branded as The Data Lab, are open to students from all majors, though many originate from the Department of Accounting, Business, Economics, and Finance.
“Thanks to The Data Lab, students don’t need to be analytics majors to build the data and tech skills they need to compete for the best jobs in business, finance, or any field,” says Associate Professor of Business Greg Collins, the group’s advisor. “They can focus their coursework on the human side of people management or on the creative work of advertising or double major in business and theatre or wherever their passion takes them and also prepare for the jobs of the immediate tomorrow.”
Thanks to The Data Lab, students don't need to be analytics majors to build the data and tech skills they need to compete for the best jobs in business, finance, or any field.
The Data Lab began in spring 2021, when Collins was teaching an analytics course. His students wanted to learn Tableau, which was not on the syllabus. So, Collins learned it himself and then invited students to join him Friday afternoons for instruction. Since 2022, Muhlenberg students have been the teachers, and the offerings have expanded to include lessons on Excel and the programming language Python.
Owen Shaffer ’27 (pictured above), a business administration and media and communication double major, public health minor, and student-athlete on the football team, is coordinating The Data Lab this semester and teaching most of the workshops.
“Leading the Muhlenberg College Data Lab has helped me improve my communication skills, especially when explaining complex ideas to large groups,” Shaffer says. “I’ve learned that data analytics is more than just knowing functions or cleaning a dataset; it’s about understanding why you’re doing what you’re doing. Teaching students with different backgrounds in the subjects and programs has pushed me to focus on that ‘why,’ not just the ‘how.’”
Leading the Muhlenberg College Data Lab has helped me improve my communication skills, especially when explaining complex ideas to large groups.
This leadership opportunity has been a springboard to success for past student Data Lab leaders. One of them, Tova Granowitz ’23, was recently promoted to vice president, Citi/AAdvantage digital acquisitions at Citi. The hiring manager for her first role at Citi told her that her Tableau experience made her resume stand out.
“The biggest impact from The Data Lab has been finding my passion — driving strategy through the numbers,” says Granowitz, a business administration major at Muhlenberg. “Although I do not work with Tableau today, being a Data Lab leader grew my confidence in working with data. This has allowed me to establish my skillset at work, opening up the door for my recent promotion.”
Being a Data Lab leader grew my confidence in working with data. This has allowed me to establish my skillset at work, opening up the door for my recent promotion.
