Keynote Sessions
Mark Glickman, Senior Lecturer on Statistics, Department of Statistics, Harvard University
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA
Mark Glickman is a Professor
of Statistics at Harvard University and a recognized leader in
sports analytics and statistical ranking methodology. He is best
known for developing the Glicko and Glicko-2 rating systems,
which extend the Elo framework by explicitly modeling
uncertainty in player strength and have been adopted in chess,
esports, and other competitive domains. His research spans
Bayesian inference, hierarchical modeling, paired-comparison
models, and decision-making under uncertainty, with applications
in sports, games, public policy, and the social sciences.
Professor Glickman has played a visible leadership role in the
statistics and data science community through professional
society service, conference organization, and scholarly
leadership. Particularly relevant to CSAS, he has been one of
the organizers of the New England Symposium on Statistics in
Sports (NESSIS), a long-running and highly influential forum
that brings together students, researchers, and practitioners
working at the interface of statistics, data science, and sports
analytics. His work is widely cited for its clarity, practical
relevance, and principled statistical foundations, and it has
shaped how modern performance evaluation problems are formulated
and solved.
Dean Oliver, Sports Analytics Pioneer, Project Specialist, Sports Statistics ESPN
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA
Dean
Oliver is a pioneer of modern basketball analytics and a
senior leader in sports analytics at ESPN. He is widely known
for his 2004 book Basketball on Paper, which helped establish
data-driven analysis as a central component of basketball
decision-making. Following its publication, he worked in
multiple NBA front offices and served as an assistant coach,
integrating statistical analysis directly into team strategy,
player evaluation, and organizational decisions. In 2011, he
helped create ESPN’s sports analytics group, contributing to the
development of quantitative analysis and data-informed
storytelling in sports media, and he rejoined the group in May.
His recent book, Basketball Beyond Paper (November 2024),
documents his professional experiences and presents studies on
player fit, psychology, and performance, reflecting the
continued evolution of analytics in basketball. His career
bridges analytics, coaching, and media, aligning closely with
CSAS’s emphasis on connecting statistical methodology with
real-world sports applications.