Hal S. Stern

Hal S. Stern is Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), and a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Statistics. He previously served as founding Chair of the Department of Statistics, Dean of the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, and Vice Provost for Academic Planning at UCI. Earlier, he held faculty positions at Iowa State University and Harvard University.

• B.S. in Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• M.S. and Ph.D. in Statistics, Stanford University

Stern is a leading expert in Bayesian statistical methods, with significant collaborative work in life sciences and social sciences. His current research focuses on forensic statistics (e.g., footwear impression and bloodstain pattern analysis), psychiatric studies of early-life adversity's impact on brain development, and statistical applications in sports analytics. He co-directs the NIST-funded Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence and leads the Conte Center's NIMH-funded research on mental health vulnerabilities.

His notable contributions include the third edition of Bayesian Data Analysis, which expanded computational methods and Bayesian nonparametric modeling, featuring STAN software. Stern has secured major grants from NIST and NIMH for interdisciplinary projects.

• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Fellow, American Statistical Association
• Fellow, Institute for Mathematical Statistics

He has mentored graduate programs as Vice Provost for Graduate Education and contributed to UCI's academic strategy as Vice Provost for Academic Planning. Stern's leadership extends to directing centers that bridge statistics with forensic science and mental health research.