Kyle Cranmer chosen to lead American Family Insurance Data Science Institute

Kyle Cranmer chosen to lead American Family Insurance Data Science Institute

Drawing on his experiences reaching across traditional academic boundaries, Cranmer aims to build partnerships between people working on data science methodology and those working in the humanities and the natural, physical and social sciences. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Drawing on his experiences reaching across traditional academic boundaries, Cranmer aims to build partnerships between people working on data science methodology and those working in the humanities and the natural, physical and social sciences. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Kyle Cranmer, a University of Wisconsin–Madison alumnus who played a significant role in the discovery of the Higgs boson, will become the next director of the American Family Insurance Data Science Institute.

“We are excited to welcome Kyle back to UW–Madison, where he earned his PhD in physics in 2005,” says Amy Wendt, associate vice chancellor for research in the physical sciences. “Kyle brings a background to the position of director that will facilitate research synergies throughout campus, connecting data scientists and domain experts working to address present-day challenges ranging from health care to education, the sciences and beyond.”

Founded in 2019, the institute is working to advance discoveries that benefit society through data science research, the translation of fundamental research into practical applications, and collaboration across disciplines. The institute is a campus focal point for integrating data science into research, and one of its top priorities is to build a thriving data science community at UW–Madison.

Cranmer is currently a physics professor at New York University and will assume leadership of the institute on July 1, 2022, joining the faculty in the UW–Madison Department of Physics, with an affiliate appointment in Statistics. Brian Yandell, the David R. Anderson Founding Director of the data science institute, has served since 2019.

Understanding and addressing the impact data science has on society, and the disproportionate effects it can have on marginalized people, is central to Cranmer’s vision.

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