Program Overview
Are you fascinated by the predictions that sports commentators make about the outcome of a particular game? Is it magic, a good guess or hard science? Join alumni from the Georgia Tech Online Master of Science in Analytics (OMSA) program for a discussion of cutting-edge trends in the sports analytics field. The session, moderated by Joel Sokol, Director of the program and consultant to several teams and leagues, features graduates Cory Jez (Utah Jazz, Austin FC), Bryan Hayes (New York Mets), and Saiem Gilani (SportsDataverse). They will share how they got started in the industry, the critical skills necessary for success and where they see the field of sports analytics growing.
This program is a collaboration with Georgia Tech Professional Education. To learn more about the Master of Science in Analytics visit the GTPE website at
https://pe.gatech.edu/degrees/analytics.
Panel Members:
Cory Jez has cemented himself as one of the leading practitioners at the intersection of sports and data. With experience building analytics departments in both the NBA (Utah Jazz) and the MLS (Austin FC), he has hands-on experience helping teams implement data into their decision-making processes. He currently works as a data consultant for an Eastern Conference NBA Team and multiple golfers on the PGA Tour. Cory holds an MS in Analytics from Georgia Tech, and a BS in Economics from Virginia Tech.
Bryan Hayes is the Director, Baseball Development for the New York Mets. He has worked in professional baseball for 18 years, including 12 years in the Mets organization. As a teenager, he worked as a batboy and clubhouse attendant for the Norfolk Tides (AAA Mets/Orioles), and completed internships in the front office with the Tides and the San Diego Padres, and in player development and baseball operations with the Mets. Prior to being named to his current position, he worked for the Mets in amateur and international scouting. Bryan holds an MS in Analytics from Georgia Tech and BS in Finance and Spanish from Notre Dame.
Saiem Gilani is the Director of Data Science and Engineering for the Houston Rockets and founder of SportsDataverse, a community of developers building easy-to-use sports analytics packages and open-source data repositories. The intention is to make the sports data and analytics community more accessible for the everyday user by flattening the learning curve required to get started. He holds a MS in Analytics from Georgia Tech and a BS in Mathematics from Florida State.
Moderator:
Joel Sokol is founding Director of Georgia Tech's interdisciplinary Master of Science in Analytics degree and Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering.
His primary research interests are in applied analytics and data science in sports, medicine, logistics, manufacturing, and other areas. Dr. Sokol's research has won the EURO Management Science Strategic Innovation Prize, been a finalist for the Cozzarelli Prize, and has been successfully used by professional sports teams, medical decision-makers, industry, NGOs, and the military. His PhD in operations research is from MIT, and his bachelor's degrees in mathematics, computer science, and applied sciences in engineering are from Rutgers University.