John R. Talburt, Professor of Information Science and Acxiom Chair of Information Quality, University of Arkansas Shares His Priorities and Targets in 2022

John R. Talburt, Professor of Information Science and Acxiom Chair of Information Quality, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

CDO Magazine publishes everything outstanding that is happening in the world of data and analytics. We introduce you to remarkable data organizations and great leaders through our special lists and nominations. We work throughout the year to bring you the latest in what is breaking down barriers and setting trends in the world of data. Our lists recognize the tremendous work performed to advance the cause of data and analytics worldwide, and we showcase the thought leaders' accomplishments in their specific lines of work.

Our Leading Data Academic Leaders List 2022 honors these great academic leaders, introducing them on a global platform where they share their insights and work, highlighting their significant successes in the previous year, the challenges they faced, and their aspirations and goals for 2022.

Introducing: John R. Talburt, Acxiom Chair of Information Quality, Coordinator of the Computer and Information Sciences PhD Program, and Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Research in Entity Resolution and Information Quality at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (Little Rock, Ark., USA)

1) What were your most significant achievements in 2021, specifically in the last two years, and why?

I believe my most significant accomplishment for 2021 was seeing 10 master's students and four doctoral students graduate from our Information Quality Graduate Program. It is significant because these graduates will keep on contributing to the profession long after I am retired, and in many cases, they will mentor and help produce the next generation of information professionals.

2) What challenges are you facing in the academic data field?

For me, the two biggest challenges are staying relevant and balancing education with training. Data technology is advancing so rapidly it is really difficult to find the time to keep up with the latest trends. It is also a challenge to work these into the curriculum. Updating curricula is not an agile process. 

Industry would like to see graduates coming out trained on the latest vendor tools of the day and ready to start work. While learning about new technologies is important, schools also have the responsibility to lay the student's educational foundation in critical thinking, problem solving, written and oral communications, and other basic knowledge and skills that apply across different tools and technologies. Finding the right balance can be difficult.

3)What traits and qualities are required to be a successful academic data leader?

My advice is to try to stay relevant. Reach out to industry to understand their problems and solutions. However, the most important thing is to invest time in mentoring your students. While your books, papers, and research are important, they will soon be outdated, but your students will continue on and become your real legacy.

4) Tell us about your priorities in 2022. What are your key targets?

My key targets are to continue research to advance the level of automation in data curation and data governance. The lack of automation and reliance on human intervention in these areas is holding back our ability to become a truly data-driven society. One of the key problems holding back automation is the lack of discipline around data quality and metadata management. I have an article on this topic coming out this month in the TDAN newsletter titled "Data Littering."

5) What advice would you offer aspiring academic leaders to help them prepare for the role?

Collaborate with industry and invest in your students.

John R. Talburt, PhD, IQCP, CDMP is Professor of Information Science, the Acxiom Chair of Information Quality, Coordinator of the Computer and Information Sciences PhD Program, and the Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Research in Entity Resolution and Information Quality at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA Little Rock). In addition, Prof. Talburt is a member of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee 184, Subcommittee 4, Working Group 13 developing the ISO 8000 Industrial Data Quality Standard. 

John R. Talburt is one of our Leading Academic Data Leaders in 2022. To discover the full list, click here now.