Barnes and Noble

We just wrapped up our Spring 2011 GVSUG meeting!  Just like the previous Fall meeting, this Spring’s meeting was held at the Barnes and Nobles @ RIT.   Our keynote speaker Ken Borowiak traveled up from North Carolina to give two talks: “PRX Functions: There is Hardly Anything Regular About Them!” and “A Closer Look at PROC SQL Options”.  Both talks really highlighted the flexibility of SAS and how tightly SAS integrates with other software.

We also introduced a new session “Careers in SAS” which was all about showing students and young professionals the many possible career tracks available to the SAS programmer.  Tim Schuldt described his work as a statistical programmer/analyst at local higher education consulting firm Scannell & Kurz, Inc. and Joe Guido described his role as a Faculty Associate/Lead Analyst Programmer at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

As is fast becoming tradition, we had prize giveaways compliments of SAS and NESUG as well as pizza from Brandani’s and sweets from Barnes and Nobles @ RIT cafe.

Earl Westerlund gave a presentation highlighting some of the benefits and exciting opportunities available to those attend NESUG 2011 in Portland, Maine September 11-14.  I attended my first NESUG last year in Baltimore and was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the presentations, accommodations, and event facilities.  Our own Joe Guido will be chairing the Data Step Programming section this year.

To close out the meeting I gave a presentation “PROC COMPARE: What does Jerusalem have to to with Athens?”  The PowerPoint presentations for all of these talks should be available in the Presentations section of the website in a few days.

Thanks everyone for attending the meeting.  It’s truly a pleasure to be part of such a great user’s group!

Thanks,

Don Gray