>MATHS+SPORT<
Game, set, match
is Australia, Senior data scientist for Tenn ed her career Stephanie Kovalchik has ac of tennis goals by combining her love with skills in statistics
her start in sport r Stephanie Kovalchik got keyboard while statistics from behind her Bachelor a h watching tennis on TV. Wit PhD in and ree of Science, Master’s deg nie was pha Ste t, bel Biostatistics under her earch res ics tist sta bio nal working in traditio ld work on her roles. But at night, she wou out stats-backed passion project : mapping big questions. answers to some of tennis’ her side hustle In 2016, Stephanie turned works with tennis she into her day job, and now much data so ’s ere statistics every day. “Th s questions like res add us available that can help , or to help give players how the sport is structured edge.” and coaches a competitive s maths processes like use nie pha Ste , day Day-toTheorem (which shows statistical modelling, Bayes’ wit s h new information ), how to update probabilitie ntif y things like how a qua and machine learning to affect their per formance. player’s physicality might ound in foundational “It’s good to have a backgr s s to work in statistics,” say maths, algebra and calculu . fan t ges big ’ ths always ma Stephanie, but she wasn’t into the highest class put was she en wh y It was onl lised, “I must have had in Year 7 that Stephanie rea .” a talent I didn’t appreciate been a passion, and Tennis, however, has always even helps her to do spending time on the court at it feels like to her job bet ter. “Knowing wh r research,” she hit a ball helps to inform you doesn’t really feel says. “I love the sport so it ell like work.” – Eliza Brockw
TINA SMIGIELSKI
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Bachelor of Science (Biology/Literature), California Institute of Technology
There’s so much data available to help give players and coaches a competitive edge”
Master’s degree in Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles
PhD in Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles
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Senior Data Scientist, Tennis Australia & Research Fellow at the Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University
MATHS