Anthony Giove is going above and beyond in the MADS program, building and adding to his data science toolkit as a professional software developer while pursuing a passion in sports analytics at the same time. 

Giove, a native Michigander, earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Western Michigan University. Now he lives only 40 minutes away from U-M’s Ann Arbor campus, in Troy, MI, with his wife and two young sons. 

As a software development lead for General Motors, Giove is responsible for creating automation solutions that execute and analyze tests automatically.

“I first heard of the MADS program on Coursera while checking out some specializations offered in the data science space,” said Giove. 

His interest was immediately piqued, but Giove said his decision to enroll essentially came down to three factors: location, flexibility and the U-M name. 

“Even though the program is online, I assumed that living 40 minutes away would afford me the opportunity to meet the faculty and staff,” said Giove, “and due to my busy lifestyle, the one-credit-per-month model seemed like a great fit as well. 

“Both of my assumptions were correct: I have met every one of my instructors, and I have utilized the flexibility to add courses a couple days before they began halfway through the semester.” 

Now that he’s a couple of semesters into the program, Giove says his courses continue to go well and he’s enjoying connecting with instructors.

“I am currently finishing up my first milestone course and SIADS 524: Presenting Uncertainty,” said Giove. “Everything is going well for me, and I am very happy with the content included in the program.

“There is a lot more interactivity between students and instructors in the MADS program. Class sizes are much lower than that of a typical MOOC, and we have live office hours every week where we can talk directly with instructors about course-related items and/or things going on with us outside of school. … The instructors have been great about providing additional resources for students that feel the need to go above and beyond the required coursework as well.”

Indeed, Giove has already proven he’s ready to go above and beyond when it comes to one data-centric passion: sports analytics. 

“I am a huge sports nerd and have spent years doing sports analytics at my home. I’ve already started incorporating some new techniques I have learned in the program into my personal hobby,” said Giove. 

“I am working as a research assistant with Chris Brooks and faculty from the School of Kinesiology on development of a sports analytics specialization that U-M will launch on Coursera later this year.” 

Giove was one of a small group of UMSI students who attended the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in 2019 with Dean Finholt, who is known for his own interest in sports analytics.

Giove expects to graduate from the MADS program in 2021.

“In the MADS program, I feel like I am learning new ways to apply concepts and techniques I already knew while also learning new ones,” said Giove. 

“I love learning new things and I am always on the lookout for interesting things to learn. That’s what makes the online learning so appealing. There is so much out there.”