Alexander Rakhlin Takes Helm as Director of MIT’s Statistics and Data Science Center

On August 3, 2026, MIT announced that Professor Alexander Rakhlin has been named the new director of the Statistics and Data Science Center (SDSC). Rakhlin succeeds Professor Ankur Moitra in this crucial leadership position. As an expert in machine learning, statistics, and computation, Rakhlin brings a wealth of knowledge to the center, which serves as a hub for data-centric research across the institute.

His appointment marks a new chapter for SDSC, an entity dedicated to advancing the mathematical and computational foundations of data science. Rakhlin’s previous work in developing algorithmic strategies for high-dimensional data has been influential in both theoretical and applied contexts. Under his guidance, the center aims to further bridge the gap between statistical theory and real-world technological applications.