A Family’s Big Dream for their Daughter

When Stella Tomasi was five, she and her family moved to the United States from India. Her parents had big dreams for her and her brothers.

“The reason we moved to America was for our education,” she says. “At that time, if we stayed in India, I probably wouldn’t have had a chance at all these education opportunities because of being female.”

As one of the area’s leading experts in business analytics, Tomasi has found success working to get more students into STEM fields.

Thanks to her parents’ efforts, Tomasi embraced her education and began to excel in science. She began her career as a chemist, but the early 2000s information technology boom led her to the world of business analytics.

Now, as one of the area’s leading experts in business analytics, Tomasi has found success working to get more students into STEM fields.

STEM careers are in demand and lucrative, but their study can be challenging. “Research has shown that by the eighth grade, if a student has had a bad experience with STEM, they’re not going to go into it,” Tomasi says. 

Bringing STEM Learning Opportunities to the Students 

Tomasi is passionate about making STEM experiences more engaging and more easily available to a range of students. With that in mind, she has volunteered with Girls in Technology, a nonprofit that helps middle- and high-school-aged girls learn more about careers in STEM.

There are so many opportunities to get involved in STEM, but only a select few know about them

Stella Tomasi

Her other projects have included a workshop in Python programming (a high-level, interpreted, general-purpose programming language) for 50 girls in the Delaware–Maryland–Virginia area. Tomasi even hosted an event with the National Air and Space Museum that included guest speakers from NASA.

“There are so many opportunities to get involved in STEM, but only a select few know about them,” she says. 

Engaging Student-Athletes with STEM Talent

According to Tomasi, previous studies have shown that few NCAA student-athletes pursue STEM-related majors. Her multidisciplinary research project aims to inspire Towson University student-athletes to seek out STEM opportunities.

Through a partnership with Justin Lima, TU football’s director of performance, and Lisa Custer, an associate professor in the kinesiology department, Tomasi is researching the effects of variables on athlete performance, and getting the players themselves into the game.

Stella Tomasi with a TU student

Through a grant from the School of Emerging Technology, she is hoping that using sports as a context may help student-athletes learn about STEM majors in a fun and exciting way—even if it means meeting with the student-athletes around seven in the morning most days to accommodate practices and training.

“During their session, we’ll look at the insights and see which variables are affecting their performance,” Tomasi says. “And as they’re looking at the data, they’ll tell me how cool this is. Our goal is for them to look at this data, make better decisions about themselves and maybe want to do this as a career.”

Honing Skills with New Study Tracks

In 2010, Tomasi joined TU’s Department of Business Analytics and Technology Management in the College of Business and Economics (CBE). 

Since then, she has led the development of the Business Systems and Processes (BSAP) major. It became the first undergrad program in CBE to be STEM-designated, where students earn an Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing (SAP) Recognition Award. 

She has also developed the business analytics minor, which allows all TU students to learn how research and data can help in making decisions.

“Students from all different majors can add the minor to their curriculum and have an extra level of understanding of how analytics and data driven decision-making can support their field of interest,” she says.

A Competition to Boost Real-world Experience

Another Tomasi brainchild is the Data Analytics Competition, which draws students from across myriad majors at the TU campus. 

Interest in the competition continues to grow. Student teams have networked with companies such as Perdue, NFL Ravens, SC&H Group, Mind Over Machines, DAP Global, Bolton and the Mid-Atlantic CIO Forum. The program has assisted in raising more than $30,000 in scholarships for winning students.

Experiential learning is indispensable… Seeing students succeed in these spaces is amazing.

Stella Tomasi

“Experiential learning is indispensable,” says Tomasi. “It bridges the gap between theory and practice, allowing students to apply real-world concepts, build critical thinking skills and gain confidence. Seeing students succeed in these spaces is amazing.” An Exceptional Honor from Students and Peers

Tomasi was recognized as one of 2024’s 50 best undergraduate business professors by Poets & Quants, an online magazine featuring stories for business undergrads. The distinction notes her remarkable impact on students and business practices throughout her career, as well as her unique style.

Chaodong Han, Ph.D., her department chair said, “Leveraging her industry experience, Dr. Tomasi continues to strengthen partnerships between academia and practitioners, benefiting our students and the business community through data analytics competitions, presentations and advising student organizations.”