Spencer Katzman Resume Download (PDF)

Spencer Katzman

Objective

Welcome to my personal webpage. I am a junior at the University of Georgia triple majoring in Mathematics, Economics, and Political Science. My current ojective is to obtain a data analytics or strategic decision focused internship where I can apply the quantitative abilities developed in my coursework while leveraging my proficiency in R, Python, SQL, and Excel. I possess strong problem solving and self-directed learning skills and would like to gain hands-on experience applying analytics to sports, business, or politics.

Education

University of Georgia | Expected Graduation: May 2027 | GPA: 3.80

  • B.S. in Mathematics (Applied Mathematics Emphasis)
  • B.A. in Economics (Business Analytics Concentration)
  • B.S. in Political Science

Research Papers and Projects

  • Ranked Choice Voting with Different Elimination Procedures (with K.L. Dougherty)

    This paper with Dr. Keith Dougherty (UGA Political Science) is the product of my second semester of Undergraduate Research. It examines alternative versions of Ranked Choice Voting to compare how they perform according to various criteria based on their elimination rule. Real world and simulated elections are examined using R (R Studio). The paper is currently in the revise and resubmit stage at the journal Public Choice.

  • A Comparison of Three Versions of Ranked Choice Voting using Computer Simulations

    This paper was the product of my first independent undergraduate research course directed by Dr. Keith Dougherty. It examines three different elimination methods for Ranked Choice Voting systems under various social choice criteria. The research required using R to code simulations of candidate rankings for voters and assessed and compared winners. It also contains a theoretical mathematical proof regarding outcomes in Ranked Choice Voting with Borda Count elimination.

  • Predictive Econometric Modelling Report

    This paper was the product of my first independent undergraduate research course directed by Dr. Keith Dougherty. It examines three different elimination methods for Ranked Choice Voting systems under various social choice criteria. The research required using R to code simulations of voter rankings for candidates and assessed and compared winners. It also contains a theoretical mathematical proof regarding outcomes in Ranked Choice Voting with Borda Count elimination.

  • Predictive Modelling Memorandum

    This report and the associated code are the work product of my course ECON 4750: Introduction to Econometrics. In this report, I coded complex econometric techniques in R in order to perform predictive analytics on data about housing values. Methods ranged from multiple regressions to Lasso and Ridge methods and models were compared using cross-validation.

  • Predictive Modelling of Housing Prices

    This report was conducted over the semester in BUSN 3040: R Programming Skills for Business Analytics I. It uses R markdown (in R Studio) to generate tables and figures summarizing housing data and predictive analysis thereof.

  • Exploring Gender Differences Between Men and Women

    This memorandum and the associated code were part of my BUSN 4040: R Programming Skills for Business Analytics II class. I used R markdown (in R Studio) to produce figures, generate word clouds, and perform predictive analytics regarding the market for Berkin handbags using customer information from Reddit threads and pricing information from auctions.

  • How State K-12 Spending Affects Student Learning

    This research was conducted in my course POLS 4155: Analyzing Political Behavior. It examines whether increased K-12 public-school spending by a state increases student learning and the conventional wisdom that more spending leads to better learning outcomes. It uses publicly available data and highlights my writing and data analysis skills.

  • How State Political Control Affects School Choice Options

    This research was conducted in my course Political Science 4150: Research Methods in Political Science class. It examines the school choice debate and the conventional wisdom is that Republicans support school choice and Democrats oppose it. It looks at the impact of single party control of state on public choice options. It highlights my writing and data collection and analysis skills within the context of an academic research paper.