David M. Higdon

David M. Higdon is a Professor and Department Head of the Department of Statistics at Virginia Tech within the College of Science. He specializes in Bayesian statistical modeling of environmental and physical systems, focusing on integrating physical observations with computer simulations for prediction and inference. Previously, he spent 14 years at Los Alamos National Laboratory as a scientist and group leader in the Statistical Sciences Group.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Statistics, University of Washington, 1994
• M.A. in Mathematics, University of California San Diego, 1989
• B.A. in Mathematics, University of California San Diego, 1987

Research Interests: Higdon’s work spans space-time modeling, inverse problems in hydrology and imaging, statistical modeling in ecology and environmental science, and multiscale models. He develops methods for parallel processing in posterior exploration, statistical computing, and Monte Carlo simulations. His research addresses critical challenges in uncertainty quantification (UQ), including climate modeling, nuclear density functional theory, and geophysical imaging.

Publications Trends: His recent articles emphasize Bayesian methodologies applied to complex systems, such as climate forecasting, materials science, and cosmology. A recurring theme is the development of emulators and surrogate models to handle computationally intensive simulations.

Awards:

• Fellow of the American Statistical Association

Advising & Grants: While no specific advisees are listed, Higdon has contributed to interdisciplinary collaborations in UQ and statistical modeling. His work has been supported by grants from agencies such as the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy.

Labs/Teams: He leads the Statistics Department’s efforts in UQ and computational statistics, fostering collaborations across engineering, environmental science, and physics.