2026 SAS Educator Awards Honor Faculty Advancing Data and AI Education Worldwide

2026 SAS Educator Awards honor faculty advancing data and AI education

Data and AI are changing what students need to learn-and how fast they need to learn it. SAS has recognized university educators who are turning analytics into concrete student outcomes, from hands-on projects to certifications. The 2026 SAS Educator Awards highlight faculty building practical skills with SAS software, AI, and data-driven methods.

"With technology evolving at a breathtaking pace, students need educators who can help them navigate complexity and translate innovation into opportunity," said Liz Moran, Director of Academic Programs and Certification at SAS. "The faculty recognized this year are doing exactly that - building learning environments where emerging technologies become accessible, relevant and meaningful."

Each awardee integrates SAS tools into coursework and collaborates with SAS Global Academic Programs to expand analytics education on their campuses. Here's who was recognized-and how they're preparing students for analytics careers.

Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)

• Simone Borra, University of Rome "Tor Vergata" - Associate Professor of Statistics and director of a master's program in customer experience, statistics, machine learning and AI built with SAS. Teaches business analytics, big data analytics and econometrics; author of multiple statistics textbooks. Research focuses on machine learning and AI in educational assessment.
• Tomáš Hlavsa, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague - Associate Professor teaching statistics and data mining; coordinates SAS Academic Specializations in Statistical Analysis and Programming. Leads SAS-based analytics education efforts in the Czech Republic. Research applies statistical methods to agricultural sustainability and rural development.
• Sandie Souchet, Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne - Teaches mathematics, probability and statistics across undergraduate and graduate programs. Integrates SAS software into applied analytics coursework and holds leadership roles within the mathematics degree program. Research connects applied mathematics, statistics and real-world modeling.

Americas

• Murat Aydogdu, Western New England University - Associate Professor of Business Analytics and Information Management with 20+ years of teaching experience. Brings together computer science, business and data science; integrates SAS Viya and other SAS tools across databases, business intelligence and machine learning courses to prepare students for analytics roles.
• Alan Ricardo da Silva, Universidade de Brasília - Full Professor in the Department of Statistics and SAS Certified Advanced Programmer. Long-time contributor to the SAS community; extensive publications using SAS and advisor to 75+ students. Recently published a book on sampling techniques featuring SAS applications.

Asia Pacific

• Adnan Balloch, Massey University - Senior Lecturer in Finance leading teaching and research in business analytics, data mining and machine learning on SAS platforms. Teaches predictive modeling and data visualization and builds curricula that link academic theory to industry use cases.
• Vipin Khattri, Poornima University, Jaipur (India) - Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and SAS Coordinator. Drives SAS integration across programs, supports faculty development and promotes SAS certifications and e-learning. Research spans AI, machine learning and cybersecurity.

What this means for higher education

• Embed analytics in core courses. Use SAS Viya® and SAS Studio with live datasets to teach statistical thinking, model building and data storytelling.
• Stack credentials. Map assignments to SAS certifications so students graduate with portfolio evidence and verified skills.
• Bridge departments. Pair statistics with domain areas (business, agriculture, health, public policy) to produce job-ready, context-aware graduates.
• Center on projects. Run client-style capstones, competitions and internships that mirror analytics workflows used in industry.
• Invest in faculty development. Leverage SAS Global Academic Programs for training, courseware and community support.
• Teach responsible AI. Build in model validation, bias checks and reproducibility alongside performance metrics.

For additional teaching ideas, course templates and practical tools, explore AI for Education.

About SAS

SAS is a global leader in data and AI. Through software and industry-specific solutions, organizations turn data into trusted decisions in classrooms, labs and enterprises worldwide. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries.