Central College News

Central to Host Virtual Midwest Sports Analytics Meeting

Featured: Central to Host Virtual Midwest Sports Analytics Meeting

November 12, 2021

Russ Goodman, professor of mathematics at Central College, will host the sixth annual Midwest Sports Analytics Meeting from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, via Zoom.

The conference promotes faculty, undergraduate and graduate research in sports analytics and features contributed talks from analytics experts. The conference also provides networking opportunities for professionals, faculty and students.

This year’s keynote speakers are Josh Pohlkamp-Hartt, data scientist for the Boston Bruins, and Stephen Pelkofer, basketball research lead at Sports Info Solutions.

Pohlkamp-Hartt has been with the Boston Bruins for three seasons. He obtained a Ph.D. in statistics from Queen’s University in Canada and previously worked at Apple Maps. In his role with the Bruins, Pohlkamp-Hartt provides statistical support on all manner of hockey-related decisions, from team strategy to draft selections.

Pelkofer was born and raised in Wisconsin and played four years of college basketball, including winning a National Championship at UW-Stevens Point in 2015. Prior to Sports Info Solutions, Pelkofer worked for three years in advanced analytics at Sentry Insurance and was a data science intern for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has a B.S. in accounting and business administration from UW-Stevens Point and an M.S. in analytics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The conference also will host two pairs of concurrent sessions during the day in different breakout rooms in Zoom. The sessions will be presented by professionals, graduate and undergraduate students across the U.S., including poster presentations by three Central students: Jadyn Jacobs, Class of 2025; Malory Jones, Class of 2023; and Bridget Lynch, Class of 2023.

Registration is $20, and participants can register here. The conference is sponsored by Central College and Marion County Community Foundation.

For more information, visit the Midwest Sports Analytics Meeting website.

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