Stephen Walsh

Dr. Stephen J. Walsh, a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Utah State University, has extensive experience in quality assurance and experimental design. His career includes roles as a researcher at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (2007-2011) and a government Statistician at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria (2011-2017). He earned his Ph.D. in 2021 from Montana State University, focusing on adapting Particle Swarm optimization for generating optimal designs. His current research merges experimental with machine learning algorithms. Dr. Walsh transitioned to academia at Utah State University mid-career with the goal of engaging talented students in statistics, mathematics, and data science. He is dedicated to mentoring students at all levels — bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. — guiding them into the profession, particularly in the field of experimental design. To date, he has successfully mentored two undergraduate researchers, aiding them in producing professional work, securing employment, and gaining acceptance into top-tier graduate programs. Additionally, Dr. Walsh has guided an M.S. student through thesis production and into the workforce. He is currently advising four M.S. students on their theses, all of whom are expected to graduate in spring 2023. In spring 2023, he will begin mentoring three Ph.D. students.