He’s Got Game … Theory

Associate dean’s research debunks idea of bias in NBA scheduling

Was there some kind of nefarious conspiracy at work in scheduling NBA basketball games? That was the question Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Yvan Kelly answered last fall in research published in the “Journal of Sports Economics.” His article was titled, “The Myth of Scheduling Bias with Back-to-Back Games in the NBA.”

Kelly, a former economics professor and scout for the Seattle Supersonics, employed game theory to analyze five seasons of data from NBA schedules to see if there had been any potential scheduling bias. His research was prompted by a noticeable pattern: certain teams were playing games two nights in a row, and most of the time they would lose the second game.

Flagler names new Vice President of Institutional Advancement

Flagler College has appointed Mark Whittaker to serve as vice president of institutional advancement. Whittaker comes to Flagler from Stetson University College of Law where he held the position of vice president for college relations. He was also vice president for university relations at Stetson University in Deland for 15 years.

Whittaker has extensive experience in higher education fundraising, having served in senior-level development positions at Stetson, Hollins University, Rhodes College and Sweet Briar College. He has considerable experience in capital campaigns, comprehensive development programs, alumni relations, planned giving, special events, marketing and communications, and government relations.

No Limits

Flagler Professor’s New Book on Deaf Education Published

For years, Flagler College Professor of Education Carl Williams has worked overtime teaching deaf education to his students for one simple reason: There was never a single comprehensive textbook written for instructors in deaf education.

That prompted him to write “No Limits,” a first-of-its-kind instructional textbook on deaf education that correlates with the Council on Educating the Deaf standards and the Educational Content Standards in Deaf Education.