Mark D. Ward

Mark Daniel Ward serves as a Professor of Statistics at Purdue University, holding courtesy appointments in Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Public Health. As Executive Director of The Data Mine, he has revolutionized data science education while maintaining an impressive research portfolio in probabilistic and combinatorial analysis of algorithms and data structures. His academic journey includes a B.S. from Denison University in Mathematics and Computer Science, an M.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Applied Mathematical Sciences, and a Ph.D. from Purdue University in Mathematics with Specialization in Computational Science. His excellence in both teaching and research has earned him numerous accolades, including Fellow of the American Statistical Association, the Focus Award, and membership in the International Statistical Institute. His research interests span across analytic combinatorics, applied probability, data compression, game theory, and information theory. Beyond his research, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership in education, winning multiple teaching awards including the College of Science Undergraduate Advising Award and being named a Fellow of the Purdue University Teaching Academy. His impact extends beyond traditional academics as he directs The Data Mine initiative, fostering large-scale computational research and data science education at Purdue