David Hunter

David R. Hunter is a Professor of Statistics at the Pennsylvania State University, affiliated with the Department of Statistics within the College of Science. He has been at PSU since 1999 and served as Department Head from 2012 to 2018. His research focuses on computational statistics, network analysis, and mixture models, with notable contributions to the 'statnet' software suite and the development of MM algorithms. Hunter earned his Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Michigan (1999) after completing a mathematics degree at Princeton University (1992) and teaching high school mathematics in New Hampshire.

His honors include being a Fellow of the American Statistical Association, an Elected Member of the International Statistical Institute, and a Research Fellow of Le Studium, CNRS. He has also received the Richards Software Award for contributions to social network analysis and a Faculty Fellowship from Penn State’s Teaching and Learning with Technology.

Teaching responsibilities span a wide range of courses, including introductory data science, biostatistics, probability theory, and specialized topics like statistical genetics and forensic science statistics. His work emphasizes bridging theoretical statistical methods with practical applications in network dynamics, computational tools, and interdisciplinary collaboration.