Stephen Wright

Stephen Wright is a Professor in the Department of Computer Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, serving as Department Chair from 2023-2025. He previously held roles at Argonne National Laboratory (1990-2001) and the University of Chicago (2000-2001). His research focuses on computational optimization, with applications in data science, machine learning, and engineering. He co-authored seminal books such as Numerical Optimization (with J. Nocedal) and Optimization for Data Analysis (with B. Recht). Wright leads the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery's research initiatives and has developed widely-used optimization software like PCx and SpaRSA.

Key awards include the 2024 George B. Dantzig Prize, 2020 Khachiyan Prize, and SIAM Fellow status since 2011. He has served as editor-in-chief of the SIAM Journal on Optimization and Mathematical Programming, Series B. His teaching includes courses on nonlinear optimization (CS726) and introductory optimization (CS524). Wright’s work bridges theory and practice, emphasizing scalable algorithms and interdisciplinary applications.