Main

Peter Vanney

Street AddressCity, State Zip

phone \(~ ~ ~ ~\) email \(~ ~ ~ ~\) www.petervanney.com

Currently happily employed: I provide data-driven insights, analysis, and technical solutions at the Chelan County PUD. I’m a data scientist, statistician, analyst, and teacher who likes to get deep into data using R to deliver rigorous analyses, insightful visualizations, and production-ready solutions.

Education

University of Alaska Fairbanks

M.S. Statistics, GPA – 4.0

Fairbanks, Alaska

2016 - 2014

Thesis: Bayesian Predictive Process Models for Historical Precipitation Data of Alaska and SW Canada
Description: Used spatial statistical models to analyze and recreate large-scale climate maps in the program R using computationally efficient methods.

Lawrence University

B.A. Mathematics, GPA – 3.4
Senior Project: Mathematical Game Theory

Appleton, Wisconsin

2011 - 2007

Experience

Senior Data Scientist/Analyst

Chelan County Public Utility District (PUD)

Wenatchee, Washington

Now - 2018

  • Advance enterprise data analytics and data science using the PI System, Seeq, RT Vista, RiverWare, R, Python, and our data warehouse by developing analyses, creating dashboards, and productionizing data workflows to meet business needs and capitalize on investments
  • Implement production analyses using PI and Seeq leveraging time series functions, linear regression, machine learning, and random forests using built-in analysis, web APIs, analytics servers
  • Design and create vertical software apps and reports in R Shiny using product APIs, web APIs, ODBC connections, and web scraping
  • Subject matter expert on statistical analysis with emphasis on digital twin models, condition-based maintenance, river forecasting, river modeling, Markov chain financial analysis, and risk forecasts
  • Initiate, coordinate, and design projects for business users, IT, OT, and executives to turn ideas into analyses, and then implement them with robust software in our production systems
  • Present findings to coworkers, executives, Board of Commissioners, and at external conferences
  • Implemented the underlying data models used in the Chelan PUD Current App to provide the public with estimates of water conditions
  • Productionized a machine learning stator temperature model using PI data and R to monitor cooling system efficiency in PUD generators
  • Create internal R packages to enhance system integration, speed up analysis, and improve reproducibility
  • Member of the PUD’s Diversity and Equity working group

Statistician IV

Texas Highway Patrol (THP)

Austin, Texas

2018 - 2016

  • Quickly promoted to lead statistical analyst after demonstrating ability to understand business needs and create repeatable, streamlined analytic solutions as well as support other statisticians
  • Developed the THP Early Intervention System to identify Troopers who may be racial profiling using rigorous statistical methods in R
  • Extract, transform, load, prepare, analyze, and interpret data using Microsoft SQL Server, R, Python, SPSS, Tableau, MicroStrategy, Crystal Reports, Access, and Excel for use in law enforcement assessments, briefings, meetings, bulletins, and other publications
  • Started and hosted ‘Stats Club’ to teach coworkers about data analytic and programming techniques, visualizations, the THP databases, data best practices, and valid statistical inference

Assistant Office Manager

Alaska Mountain Guides

Skagway, Alaska

2016 - 2015

  • Development on our cruise tour database in the program Panorama to improve user interfaces and accounting integration
  • Managed and scheduled guides on rock climbing, ziplining, kayaking, and rafting tours
  • Tour bus driver and CDL instructor

Instructor & Teaching Assistant

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska

2016 - 2014

  • Taught STAT 200 Elementary Probability and Statistics as the instructor of record
  • Created lesson plans, the syllabus, and schedule as well as original material such as exams, homework problems, and lesson notes
  • Taught MATH 113 Concepts and Contemporary Applications of Mathematics for two semesters

Education Volunteer

Peace Corps Ghana

Bodada, Volta Region, Ghana

2014 - 2012

  • Served as a full-time middle school math, science, and computers teacher to students aged 12 to 21 in a rural Ghanaian town with limited resources
  • Developed original lessons focused on learner-centered methods and critical thinking
  • Created school library
  • Collaborated with community on creation of a computer lab
  • Selected by Peace Corps Ghana staff to train 2013 – 2015 Education Volunteers during ten weeks of in-country training and cultural integration

Programming Toolset

R

Analytic tool of choice for statistical modeling, analysis, data frame manipulation, machine learning, and graphics using ggplot2, dplyr, other tidyverse packages, data.table, keras, and tensorflow. Advanced user. I develop packages, create Shiny apps, integrate web API workflows in production, connect to database management systems, and do front-end web development.

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AVEVA PI System

PI super user. Integrate the PI system with external analyses in production using the PI Web API, develop new PI tags and event frames to meet business needs, create logical asset hierarchies in PI AF, develop self-contained analyses using PI Analysis server, create PI Vision displays, and understand PI Data Historian data compression methods and extraction techniques. Develop data pipelines to move from archived process data to normalized database to display.

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Seeq

Analytic tool of choice for time-series data due to its intuitive data searching and transformation features, easy-to-use interface, ability to speed up analyses, and extensibility through its well-documented web API.

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Python

Intermediate user of Python for data manipulation, graphics, flexible production ETL, and machine learning with numpy, scipy, pandas, plotly, matplotlib, tensorflow, and keras. While I prefer R for statistical analysis, Python offers advantages for its greater production IT acceptance and ease data ingestion from most sources.

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Excel, SQL, Business Intelligence Tools, and Statistical Software

Advanced Excel user because Excel is a necessary evil part of the business data experience. Strong experience with SQL to improve scripting performance. Experience developing analyses and dashboards in Seeq, Cognos, Power BI, Tableau, Crystal Reports, MicroStrategy, SPSS, and SAS. I can read documentation and implement solutions using these software and others.

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Selected Achievements

NCW Tech Alliance AI Expo: AI Jobs of the Future Panel Discussion

Panelist - discussion for teachers about AI uses and jobs. Presentation linked.

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2021

Seeq at the Chelan PUD: The Chelan Chronicles - Seeqing Deeper Analytics

Speaker - presentation given at Grid Forward 2020 with coworkers. Presentation linked.

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2020

Chelan PUD’s Use of PI - A Data and Notification Hub for Machine Learning, Modeling, and Analytics using Hybrid Cloud Technology

Speaker - presentation given at PI World 2020. Presentation linked.

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2020

30 Under 35 Leader – Wenatchee Business World

Peter Vanney, a data analyst at Chelan County PUD, has been a Peace Corps volunteer and, when he worked for the Texas Highway Patrol, developed statistical methods for detecting racial profiling. Wenatchee World article linked here.

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2019

Texas Highway Patrol Early Intervention System: Statistical Methods

Unpublished manuscript of statistical methods. Results and slides made public at the December 2018 meeting of the Texas Public Safety Commission. Minutes linked here. Slides linked here.

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2018

Other Interests

                         American Statistical Association member, data science blogging, service work, math and stats
                         education, data visualization and mapping, spatiotemporal data modeling, root cause analysis,
                         big data, tidy data, eliminating busy work and repetitive copying-pasting

                         Dog walking, hiking, canoeing, gardening, ultimate frisbee, fishing, running, backpacking, biking, skiing,
                         cooking, car maintenance and repair, sports, and cribbage