Tom Woteki honored with emeritus status

Tom Woteki, professor of practice in statistics in the College of Science and founding director of the Academy of Data Science at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of professor of practice emeritus and founding director emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The emeritus title may be conferred on retired faculty members who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands in recognition of exemplary service to the university. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive a copy of the resolution and a certificate of appreciation.

Woteki, who joined the statistics faculty as a professor of practice in 2018, made significant leadership contributions as the founding director of the Academy of Data Science in the College of Science. He guided its establishment as a university-wide, transdisciplinary hub integrating education, research, and community engagement in data science.

He demonstrated dedicated service in promoting research and scholarship through academy initiatives such as the Data Science Faculty Fellowships and the Academy of Data Science Discovery Fund, which fostered faculty development, collaboration, and student engagement in innovative data science research.

In the classroom, he taught a wide variety of graduate courses in data sciences, bringing with him more than 30 years of industry experience in statistics and data science; information technology strategy, development, and management; and IT consulting. He also directed the part-time master’s degree program in data analysis and applied statistics in Northern Virginia, mentoring 28 students to the successful completion of the degree.

Perhaps most significantly, Woteki — working with faculty across the university — led the development and approval of the new interdisciplinary master’s degree in data science, which launched in fall 2025.  

Woteki received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in math and his doctoral degree in statistics from Virginia Tech.

Written by Emily Southern, a senior majoring in multimedia journalism and student writer for Virginia Tech Marketing and Communications