Alexander Rakhlin has been named director of the MIT Center for Statistics and Data Science. He will succeed Professor Ankur Moitra.
MIT News presents Rakhlin as a specialist in machine learning, statistics and computations. The source is provided as metadata and a brief synopsis, so details about the appointment and the center's future work are not confirmed.
The significance of the event lies in leading a research center at the intersection of statistics, data analysis, and machine learning. It is not yet known which directions the new director will prioritize or when he will begin his work in this role.
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Why it matters
Possible consequence — change of managerial emphasis in the center's work, but there are no confirmed data about future strategy. The next observable signals will be Rakhlin's statement about priorities or details about the start of his work. Significant uncertainty is associated with the fact that the only source is metadata and synopsis.