WVU business data analytics graduate powers retail innovation at major grocery chain

Molly Watterson, a WVU business data analytics graduate, turns complex data into real-world business impact for retail giants like her current employer Kroger Co. (Submitted Photo)

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When Molly Watterson enrolled in the business data analytics master's program at West Virginia University, she found what had been missing for her professionally since she started working for major retailers.

"The program really helped me understand the foundations," Watterson said. "It gave me the technical depth I needed - but it also helped me figure out where I wanted to go in my career."

The program, part of the WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics, is fully online and equips graduates with techniques from operations research and management to enhanced decision making. Data mining, management, collection and visualization are also key components.

"I went in expecting to learn more about data, and I certainly did," she said. "I learned way more than I thought I was going to."

From discovering data at Disney to mastering it at WVU, Watterson strengthened her path in analytics thanks to her experience with the WVU business data analytics master's program. (Submitted Photo)

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A native of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, she earned her undergraduate degree from Robert Morris University, studying business with a focus on marketing and a minor in finance. During an internship with Disney, she "stumbled into" an interest in analytics and realized many top analysts at the company relied on SQL to drive insights.

SQL, or Structured Query Language, is the standard specialized programming language for managing and retrieving data stored in relational database management systems. It allows users to interact with structured data, using tables with rows and columns, and simple commands.

After a year with Disney, Watterson returned to the Pittsburgh area, landing a role with Dick's Sporting Goods. She worked in a series of analytics-focused positions, including customer segmentation, email targeting and marketing, over the course of five years.

For WVU alum Molly Watterson, success isn't just professional - it's about showing up in every part of life. (Submitted Photo)

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Her on-the-job experiences introduced her to how artificial intelligence and data analytics could coexist, a discovery that eventually led her to WVU.

"I picked up some programming skills on my own," she said. "But I wanted to understand the 'why' behind it - the statistics, the predictive modeling, the principles that make machine learning work."

Watterson said she wanted to get the data right, rather than simply gathering and doing all the analytical work, which is one of her biggest takeaways from her time at WVU.

"As everybody who works with data knows - put garbage in, get garbage out," she said. "If your data isn't standardized and reliable, nothing built on top of it will be reliable either."

Today, as a senior product manager at Kroger, she oversees retail sales data information for the country's largest traditional grocery chain. Watterson works to gather data generated at checkout registers and ensure it is accurate so it can be turned into a reporting tool for business strategies.

The flexibility of the WVU business data and analytics program online helped Watterson grow her career without missing life's special moments spent with her husband and daughter. (Submitted photo)

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"When you go to the register and buy bananas, apples and cereal, all of that is part of the sales transaction," Watterson said. "Which store, which register, what items were purchased, how they were paid for - it all matters."

AI comes into play with this data by optimizing sales promotions and personalizing a customer's experience, which needs to be accurate, or it can negatively affect a company's business.

"It's not the flashy side of AI, but it's some of the most critical work," Watterson said. "If the data isn't good, it doesn't matter what models you put on top of it, it's not going to help your business."

As AI evolves, WVU continues to change and pivot accordingly. Due to the popularity and success rate of the business data analytics master's program, WVU recently adopted an undergraduate program, applied AI and data analytics, that equips students with practical, deployable skills in AI and data analytics for any industry, with no prior technical background required.

"The master's program gave me the confidence to sit at the table with engineers and data scientists and understand what they're building," she said. "It also helped me translate that into business value."

Watterson praised faculty for making complex concepts accessible and practical. She highlighted Brad Price, department chair and associate professor for Management Information Systems and Supply Chain, for his detailed teaching style and emphasis on applying theoretical principles directly to real-world coding scenarios.

Molly Watterson, WVU business data analytics graduate (Submitted Photo)

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"The professors were amazing," Watterson said. "They made sure we understood not just how to do something, but why it works."

For undergraduates, applied AI and data analytics is the most accessible computer-based program designed for first-year students. The highest math required is applied calculus, with no accounting required.

Graduates join the workforce prepared to build and deploy applied AI models that solve real business problems. From the start, students learn through hands-on consulting, building predictive systems and working on real company projects.

Students also graduate with the ability to understand AI systems and clearly communicate their value to business leaders. Rather than training coders alone, the program develops innovators who can prove AI impact in the boardroom.

Focusing on some of the same areas at the graduate level, Watterson completed her master's degree in 2022.

Although the program was fully online, she said the experience felt personal and meaningful. She traveled to Morgantown to participate in Commencement, something she said was one of the highlights of her academic career, especially singing "Take Me Home, Country Roads."

"It was a huge accomplishment for me," she said. "Neither of my parents went to college, so to have my family there meant everything."

Her father had lived in Bridgeport and was a Mountaineer fan before he died, and was especially happy about her decision to attend WVU.

"He was a proud WVU dad," she said. "He didn't get to see me finish, but I know he would be proud."

Watterson said she believes choosing the University's specialized data analytics program over a more general program was pivotal in where her career has gone.

"It aligned exactly with where I wanted to grow," she said. "It didn't just add a credential to my résumé - it helped me figure out what I wanted to do. The program helped me define my path. It gave me the skills to move into the role I'm in today."

Find more information about applied AI and data analytics at WVU.

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