Institutional Effectiveness & Analysis Staff

Ying Liu, Ph.D.

Assistant Provost | yingliu@xuanyuzg.com | 561-297-2719 

Ying Liu manages the development, enhancement, and maintenance of information resource data to support decision making, planning, and reporting for the entire University community. He leads the Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Analysis (IEA) and supports University executives, campus administrators, and campus committees with research, planning, and analysis for evidence-based decision making and policy formation. Prior to joining FAU in March of 2018, Ying was the Director of Institutional Research at the University of Toledo. He has also worked at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Toronto, and McMaster University. Ying earned his Ph.D. in psychology from Beijing Normal University, China, and his master’s degree in statistics from the University of Pittsburgh. Ying's research has focused on measuring student outcomes with advanced statistical models, as well as the cognitive processes involved in learning.

Zhiyuan Ma (ZMa)

Associate Director | zma@xuanyuzg.com | 561-297-4196

Zhiyuan (ZMa) joined FAU-IEA in July, 2014, as a programmer/systems Analyst, and quickly advanced to a Program Manager/Technical Lead, she served as the Interim Director for 8 months, before being promoted to Associate Director in April 2018. She is responsible for administering and managing databases, SAS Visual Analytics and other systems used for reporting and analysis by IEA and assists the Institutional Data Administrator to ensure the accuracy of over 50 file submissions to the state. Writes complex programming code and reviews SQL codes done by others. Zhiyuan received her master’s degree in computer and information science from New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

Benjamin Silva

Assistant Director of Analytics | silvab@xuanyuzg.com | 561-297-2727

Ben joined the IR department at Florida Atlantic University in 2015 as Coordinator of Statistical Research, and he has since served as Sr. Statistical Analyst before being promoted to Assistant Director of Analytics. His work includes dashboard management and predictive analytics on student enrollment, academic success, retention, and graduation. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Florida International University and his M.S. in Statistics from Florida State University.

John Cahill

Senior Statistical Analyst | jcahill@xuanyuzg.com | 561-297-0244

John joined FAU-IEA in 2002, as a Senior Research Analyst. John came to FAU from Barry University where he worked in the Office of Institutional Research. Prior to his involvement in institutional research John worked as a research analyst in the Health Policy Resources Center’s Survey Center of the American Dental Association. John serves as a manager of FAU’s Qualtrics brand license, he designs and administers Qualtrics surveys in support of the Office of the Provost and various academic and administrative units, he is involved with the processing and reporting of the Student Perception of Teaching (SPOT) results, and he coordinates the institutional response to multiple US News surveys and other external surveys on an annual basis. He has led workshops on design & administration of web-based surveys at regional and national institutional research conferences. He received his bachelor’s degree in the Social Sciences from Illinois State University and his master’s degree in Sociology from Northern Illinois University.

Howard Hamilton, PhD

Senior Data Scientist | hhamilton@xuanyuzg.com | 561-297-2718

Howard joined FAU-IEA in June, 2016, as a programmer/systems analyst. He works with the Performance Funding Metrics. Prior to FAU, Howard has worked with private and public organizations in Jamaica and other Caribbean Islands leading IS/IT initiatives in Manufacturing, Healthcare, Transport, and Statistics. He taught IS and IT courses at the University College of the Caribbean (Kingston, Jamaica), Nova Southeastern University (Davie, Florida), and ECPI University (Newport News, Virginia). Howard has earned his BSc. in Computer Science and Mathematics (double major), an MSc. in Computer-based Management Information Systems, and Ph.D. in Information Systems. He is also Certified in CDPSE, CGEIT, CISA, CISM, & CRISC.

Jeremy Hoyt

Administrative Assistant | jhoyt8@xuanyuzg.com | 561-297-2665

Jeremy joined FAU-IEA in August 2018. Prior to working at IEA, he worked at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. While at FAU Jeremy has earned a Bachelor of Public Management and a Master of Public Administration.

Shannon Tynan

Senior Business Intelligence Analyst | stynan2015@xuanyuzg.com | 561-297-3156

Shannon joined the FAU-IEA team in June of 2019. Shannon earned a Master of Science in Information Technology, the Big Data Analytics Certificate, as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems with a concentration in Business Analytics at Florida Atlantic University. While completing her masters, Shannon worked as a Graduate Assistant at the Information Technology & Operations Management Office at FAU.

Leila Nasri

Data Scientist | lnasri2019@xuanyuzg.com | 561-297-4751

Leila joined FAU-IEA in August 2021. Prior to FAU, Leila worked for the Center for Economic Development at Cleveland State University in Ohio as a research assistant. Leila received her master’s degree in Business Administration with a Business Analytics concentration in 2018 from Virginia Tech University. She also has an M.S. in Social-Economical Systems Engineering from Kharazmi University and a B.S. in Statistics from Allameh Tabatabaei University.

Matthew Thompson

Data Scientist | matthewthompson2021@xuanyuzg.com | 561-297-4947

Matthew joined the FAU-IEA team in 2021. He studied business at American Military University, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration before earning a Master of Science in Data Science and Engineering from Florida Atlantic, along with certificates in Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence.

Eyon Hossain

Junior Data Scientist | ehossain2020@xuanyuzg.com | 561-297-2327

Eyon joined the FAU-IEA team in July 2024, bringing a wealth of information technology and business analytics expertise. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems with a concentration in Business Analytics from Florida Atlantic University, and he is certified in CSM (Certified ScrumMaster), Advanced Python, and SQL Developer.

Prior to working in IEA, Eyon gained valuable experience as a Computer Application Coordinator at the Office of Information Technology at FAU. His strong technical and analytical skills, combined with a deep understanding of data, have been instrumental in driving research and innovation at the university. Eyon is dedicated to leveraging data to uncover insights and support the university's academic and operational goals.

Takahi Carter

Graduate Intern Analyst | tcarter2023@xuanyuzg.com | 561-297-6365

Takahi Carter joined the FAU-IEA team as an intern in September 2024. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Data Analytics. Takahi holds an MBA from Lynn University and a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from New England College. In his role at FAU-IEA, he is gaining valuable experience while working towards his master's degree.