Dr. Joel Sokol

Professor

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Biography

Joel Sokol is the Harold E. Smalley Professor at the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, where he also serves as the founding Director of the interdisciplinary Master of Science in Analytics degree. He earned a Ph.D. in Operations Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and holds bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science, as well as Applied Sciences Engineering from Rutgers University. His primary research interests include the application of artificial intelligence, data science, and analytics across various domains such as sports, medicine, supply chains, logistics, and manufacturing. Sokol is renowned for his work with major American sports leagues and has developed innovative predictive modeling techniques including the LRMC method for NCAA basketball tournaments. An accomplished educator, he is dedicated to training professionals in applied analytics and data science, emphasizing effective data modeling and decision-making. Sokol has received numerous awards for his contributions to academia and research, including the Technology Association of Georgia's Data Science & AI Innovator Award Nomination and the Teaching Excellence Award.

Research Interests

Experience

Director

2016-01-01 — Present

H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering • Atlanta, GA

Founded and directed the Master of Science in Analytics program.

Awards

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Harold E. Smalley Professorship

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Data Science & AI Innovator Award Nominee

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Academic Data Leader

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CTL Teaching Excellence Award in Online Teaching

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edX Prize Finalist

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Outstanding Faculty Award

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Outstanding Teacher Award

Requirements for Georgia Institute of Technology

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:19
Reading
Required:19
Writing
Required:19
Speaking
Required:19
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Listening
Required:6.5
Reading
Required:6.5
Writing
Required:5.5
Speaking
Required:6.5
Overall
Required:7.5
Prerequisites
Undergraduate degree in computer science or related field
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Official transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Statement of Purpose
Specialization Notes

Department of Computer Science: GRE scores are optional for Fall 2026.