News & Updates – Optimal Solutions Group

Optimal Researchers to Present Automating Google Searches to Collect Data

Optimal’s education research team will be presenting at the International Population Data Linkage Network (IPDLN) conference on September 7-9, 2022. The team will present the methodological approach developed to collect mask mandate information by automating Google searches and using NLP to classify the results by developing a customized robotic process automation program. This year’s theme for the conference includes using AI and collecting data to validate and improve official statistics.

For more information on the conference, visit https://ipdln.org/2022-conference.

Optimal’s COO Offers Real World Career Optimizing Tips to UMD iSchool Graduates

News & Updates

Optimal’s executive, Tracye Turner, recently delivered career lessons learned and best practices remarks to new graduates at the 2022 spring commencement at the University of Maryland’s School of Information Studies. The fast-growing school has high job offer rates and in-demand graduates. She frequently collaborates with the iSchool, serves on the iLead Advisory Council, and was the Inaugural Chair. She shared her top 10 career lessons learned in cyclical job markets. For more information, see Spring 2022 Commencement Ceremony | University of Maryland (umd.edu)

Optimal’s CEO Joins the Council of Graduate Schools Employer Roundtable

News & Updates

Optimal’s Mark Turner recently joined the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) Employer Roundtable. The CGS Employer Roundtable is a small group of senior leaders representing employers of graduate degree holders in various fields and organizations serving higher education. CGS serves to advance graduate education and research in the U.S. and globally. Dr. Turner brings the perspective of small businesses that employ graduate degree holders to the roundtable that is mostly composed of global businesses and organizations — Amazon, Corning, IBM, and TIAA. For more information, see CGS Employer Roundtable.

Evaluation of SBA’s Small Business Procurement Scorecard

News & Updates, News & Updates Publications

The SBA contracted with Optimal to evaluate the effectiveness of the Small Business Procurement Scorecard methodology change and the overall effectiveness of the scorecard in increasing small business opportunities and improving federal agencies’ ability to meet their small business contracting goals. Major findings include the change in the Small Business Procurement Scorecard methodology did not result in many changes to small business procurement practices at federal agencies for prime contracting. Click here to read the report.