Congratulations to Drew Thiemann, MPPA, Director of Institutional Research & Effectiveness; and Jim Breslin, PhD, Dean of Student Success, Bellarmine University

Their paper, "Toward a Strategic and Holistic First-Year Retention Predictive Model," won best paper from the 2019 KAIR Annual Meeting.

The paper presented the results of a multi-year strategic initiative to develop a First-Year Predictive Model (FYPM) at Bellarmine University. While predictive modeling is a cutting-edge tool for institutional researchers, there are many stages involved in a successful implementation. The paper guides readers through the initial formative steps and design considerations, a year-long pilot phase, successive model diagnostics and validation efforts, and eventual transformation into a fully integrated, data-based research platform for investigating student retention and success within Bellarmine's context.