MS in Business Analytics Graduate Spotlight

Paul Bessire

Paul Bessire headshot

Employer: PredictionMachine.com
Title: Co-founder

Paul is one of the foremost authorities on mathematically modeling and analyzing sports. He has turned his longtime hobby of predicting and writing about sports outcomes into a full-time profession.

Today Paul is an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati where he teaches “Bracketology” with Mike Magazine, a guest lecturer for “Sports by the Numbers,” and a frequent guest analyst on fantasy sports and talk shows across the country on networks such as ESPN and CBS.

"The Business Analytics program at the University of Cincinnati is not just a world-class analytics program. It’s a world-class program at the intersection of big data, technology, and efficient decision-making. The applications of the program should continue to grow in importance within businesses in all industries.”

Mark Boone

Mark Boone headshot

Employer: Cincinnati Reds
Title: Business Analytics Developer

Mark leads data visualization development for the Cincinnati Reds using Tableau software. Mark has built a number of meaningful dashboards for the Reds, some of which incorporate a map he created to plot all seats within the ballpark. The granular detail of his map allows leadership to view data a number of ways, including visualizing where certain types of ticket packages are selling, detecting notable pricing differences between the box office and secondary market, and identifying potential sponsorship opportunities.

"Cincinnati's program is second to none in its ability to prepare students for careers in a wide variety of analytical fields. While offering a strong mathematical foundation via exposure to large datasets and the opportunity to solve real-world problems, its focus on logical reasoning and adaptive problem-solving skills result in an overarching strength, preparing you for any scenario you may face in the workplace."

Liberty Holt

Liberty Holt headshot

Employer: TriHealth
Title: Manager of Predictive Analytics

After graduation from the University of Cincinnati business analytics program, Liberty accepted a position as a data scientist at TriHealth in collaboration with Hatton Research where she was responsible for developing and implementing the use of predictive models. Liberty was soon promoted to manager of predictive analytics, where she is able to mentor others and influence the future direction of analytics at TriHealth. She has the opportunity to explore cutting edge analytics  using machine learning in combination with Watson Content Analytics, Hadoop, and other developing technologies. She is also developing a team to ensure that any models or analytics that are developed translate into opportunities to give the best care to the patients of her organization.

“I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to complete the UC analytics program. I gained skills and learned a vast array of analytic techniques, but beyond that it also offered many opportunities to grow both professionally and personally.”