Stephanie L. Wilka, J.D., joined the Department of Sport Management as a Professor in the Practice in 2023. She is also the Director of the Hutchinson Leadership Initiative in Sport Analytics, an industry-leading undergraduate program dedicated to providing cutting edge analytics support to the Rice University varsity sports teams and catapulting Rice University students into successful sport analytics careers.

Prior to joining Rice University, Stephanie spent nearly two decades in Major League Baseball, holding various roles in scouting, international baseball operations and law. During this time, she oversaw the construction of two little league fields in the Dominican Republic as the leader of a Boston Red Sox philanthropy project, submitted the 1-1 pick for Carlos Correa in the 2012 draft while with the Houston Astros, and built a baseball operations compliance program for the San Diego Padres. Stephanie has also negotiated an MLB stadium renovation contract, a Dominican Republic Academy renovation project, and the acquisition, relocation, and construction of a minor league affiliate.

Stephanie is a graduate of Harvard University (’05) with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and went on to earn her Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law (’11).