Message from the Chair
Greetings, Statistics alumni and friends.
What an extraordinary time to be part of the UW–Madison Department of Statistics community. This semester, we officially moved into Morgridge Hall, our stunning new home at 1205 University Avenue. This state-of-the-art, 343,000-square-foot building is a testament to the university’s commitment to advancing data science and statistical excellence.
Already, Morgridge Hall is living up to its promise as a hub for collaboration, bringing together all units of the School of Computer, Data and Information Sciences (CDIS) under one roof for the first time. I’ve seen firsthand how our faculty, staff and students are getting to know colleagues in the Department of Computer Sciences, the Information School and others better than ever before.
This fall also brings more exciting growth to our faculty. We’re thrilled to welcome three new assistant professors—Bikram Karmakar, Xiao Luo, and Maja Waldron—each bringing unique expertise that broadens our research capacity and strengthens our educational mission. Their arrivals reflect our department’s continued expansion and commitment to pushing the frontiers of statistics and data science.
In this edition of The Normal Distribution, you’ll learn more about Morgridge Hall, our new faculty members’ research trajectories, the impressive endeavors and achievements of our students (like the entrepreneurial Ben Lukszys), and fellow alumni who continue to make their mark in academia and industry.
This newsletter captures just a glimpse of what our students, faculty, staff, and alumni are accomplishing. The broad impact of our community on campus and around the world cannot be quantified—even by us statisticians.
Thank you for staying connected with us. I hope you enjoy this edition of The Normal Distribution!
Bret Larget
Chair & Professor
Department of Statistics
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The Latest
- Three new assistant professors join the Department of Statistics as faculty growth continues
- Celebrating the opening of Morgridge Hall
- Catalysts of change: How CDIS partnerships are shaping what’s next
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
- Several of our faculty and graduate students were featured in a new video at this year’s Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM), the largest gathering of statisticians and data scientists in North America. Watch the video.
- Professor Emerita Grace Wahba is the winner of the 2025 International Prize in Statistics, one of the highest honors in the field. Read more about her lasting impact.
- Faculty, alumni and emeriti gathered for a photo at the Morgridge Hall ribbon-cutting event:
Student Life
- Student spotlight: Ben Lukszys empowers fellow students to launch entrepreneurial careers
- Sports Analytics Club enables students to turn data into game-changing insights
- Several Statistics and Data Science students receive CDIS scholarships
Alumni Updates
Victor Guerrero PhD’79 received the International Mahalanobis Award, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the advancement of statistics in
developing countries, particularly in Latin America. He received the award at the 65th World Statistics Congress celebrated in October at The Hague, alongside Grace Wahba (pictured), Professor Emerita and winner of the International Prize in Statistics.
Guerrero served for decades as a Professor at Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), one Mexico’s top universities. “It [is] wonderful to see the main international statistics awards have deep connections with the Department of Statistics … This is a moment of celebration for the continued excellence and global impact of our Department,” Guerrero said.
Ang Yu MS’22 recently completed a PhD in Sociology at UW–Madison and is now working as a Research Scientist at Meta. At the end of this year, Ang will begin a position as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Social Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Qizan Guo ‘23 is pursuing a master’s in computer science at University of Southern California. He will work for gaming company NetEase after graduation, where he says he will focus on “finding cheating players using AI.”
Luke Lochner ‘23 is now Senior Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Developer at Generac and was recognized in 2022 by Wisconsin Inno as a one of 5 Rising Tech Leaders across the state who are under the age of 25.
John Lorge ‘23 was hired as a database administrator for WIDA, a provider of language development resources to support the academic success of multilingual learners.
Haoxuan Lu ‘23 has started a new role as new job as SDET (Software Development Engineer in test) at Amazon.
Tianle (Steven) Chen ‘24 is pursuing an MS in Statistical Science at Duke University, where he recently started as a research assistant in the Topo-Learning Lab, where the team develops new AI models based on scientific knowledge and data. “This has been a really enriching experience, as it has allowed me to bridge statistics, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence,” Steven said. “I continue to be greatly indebted to the mentorship and training that I received at UW–Madison, which still guides how I approach research and discovery.”
Mira Viner ‘24 accepted a position with Strategic Wealth Group, a mid-sized financial services company, where she’s applying her Data Science Certificate to support evidence-based financial decision-making. “My role involves using R to analyze and interpret financial data, understanding data mapping within cloud systems, and researching SEC-compliant data solutions,” she says. “It’s a rewarding opportunity to combine technical skills with a client-first mindset and help shape how financial services evolve through smart, ethical use of AI.”
Sujay Tata ‘25 is now an Associate at Stifel Financial Corporation, working in the Equity Research department in New York City. “The [Data Science] program at UW–Madison and the skills that students gain open the doors to a wide variety of industries that people may not think about at first glance,” he said. The School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences has been an instrumental part of growth for both my peers and myself.”