Middle Tennessee State University captured a sweep in its three eligible categories at the 11^th annual Nashville Technology Council Awards.

Winners were announced at Thursday night’s awards ceremony at the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville, with winners recognized on stage and presented the unmistakable guitar awards from the advocacy organization.

Charlie Apigian, co-director of MTSU’s Data Science Institute, won for Data Scientist of the Year; the Women in STEM, or WISTEM, Center captured the Diversity and Inclusion Initiative of the Year; and Luis Lange, an Information Systems and Analytics graduate student, won Student of the Year.

A full list of winners and more information is available at https://technologycouncil.com/ntcawards/.

At MTSU, Apigian helps direct the Data Science Institute, which launched in spring 2018 with a mission to promote funded interdisciplinary research and develop public and private collaborations around the emerging field of “big data.” Last year, NTC recognized Apigian as its Community Leader of the Year.

The WISTEM Center celebrated its 10^th anniversary this fall. The brainchild of longtime chemistry professor and director Judith Iriarte-Gross, the center’s mission is to enable the campus and community to realize the intellectual potential and utilize the expertise of women in the STEM disciplines. WISTEM Center board members Lisa Reaney, an aerospace alumna, and Shruti Sharma, an engineer with Ingram Content Group, accepted the award on the center’s behalf.

MTSU Women in STEM Center board members Lisa Reaney, center left, an MTSU aerospace alumna, and Shruti Sharma, an engineer with Ingram Content Group, accept the prized guitar representing the Nashville Technology Council Award for the Diversity and Inclusion Initiative of Year at the organization’s Jan. 23 ceremony at the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville, Tenn. (Submitted photo)

According to NTC, the awards ceremony brought together more than 675 registered attendees — representing more than 136 Tennessee technology companies and related organizations. All were present to celebrate this year’s technology champions in 14 categories, with finalists announced last fall. Dell Nashville provided support as the Platinum Sponsor.

“The NTC Awards is an opportunity to celebrate our region’s tech leaders for the work they’ve done in Nashville’s technology community,” said Brian Moyer, NTC president and CEO, in a news release. “Whether it’s a company, a team, or an individual; a member of the ‘C-Suite’ or a developer; or a community leader or a diversity game changer, the NTC Awards recognize the people that are making Nashville the destination for creative and innovative technology, and contributing to Middle Tennessee’s growth and prosperity.”

MTSU’s Department of Computer Information Systems and Analytics offers a bachelor’s of business administration in information systems; a master’s in information systems with concentrations in business intelligence and analytics, IT project management, information system security and assurance, and general information systems; a minor in information systems; and an accelerate bachelor’s and master’s program.

For more information about department in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, go to http://mtsu.edu/isa.

For more information about the WISTEM Center, go to https://www.mtsu.edu/wistem/index.php.

— Jimmy Hart (Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu)

Luis Lange, left, an Information Systems and Analytics graduate student, receives the Student of the Year award Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Nashville Technology Council’s 11th annual NTC Awards ceremony held at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo courtesy of the Nashville Technology Council)