My Academic Speeches
In each of these sessions, I blend my passion for data science with real-world applications, from sports analytics to gambling awareness. As I continue to speak at major conferences, my focus has shifted to educating students and educators about the dangers of sports gambling and the importance of mathematical literacy in making informed choices.
March Madness: A Data-Driven Exploration
This workshop will explore the iconic NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournaments (male and female). Our quest to fill out better brackets will drive us to use modeling, simulation, and AI to estimate win probabilities. By comparing our model’s output to the picks of the general public, we will identify bias and inefficiencies in the market. Tableau will be used to create dynamic data visualizations allowing users to discover the most valuable picks. Teachers will leave the session with a customizable lesson plan that can be adjusted to meet the demands of their students. Presented at the National Teachers of Mathematics Conference (NCTM), September 2024, Chicago, IL, Denver's Fox 31 News Story 3/19/25
The Rise of the Robo-Umpire in Major League Baseball
In this session, we will take raw pitch data from the 2024 World Series and develop a robo-umpire capable of calling balls and strikes with precision. The accuracy of the human umpires will be analyzed, and the cost of their mistakes will be quantified. We’ll explore the potential consequences of replacing a human with a robot, and search for a solution in which AI will improve human performance rather than replace it. Presented at the Academic Data Science Alliance (ADSA) at the University of Michigan's Institute for Data and A.I. in Society, October 2024, Ann Arbor, MI
The NBA's Search for Efficiency
In 1979 the NBA added the 3 point line, changing the game of basketball forever. In this session, we will utilize 20 years worth of raw shot data to depict the NBA's evolution as team's search for the most efficient way to allocate their possessions. Presented at DataCated 2021. link