After over 10 years of teaching at Baker University, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Dr. William Duncan is moving on to his next adventure. Duncan has accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of Data Science at the University of Kansas and is set to begin in the upcoming fall semester.
Duncan will be joining the Economics Department as well as the Institute for Policy and Social Research where he will take on teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities.
“I will teach data science and economics while continuing a research portfolio,” Duncan said. “My areas for research are in labor economics and economics of education, but part of my role will be recruiting projects that students will work on in class” he added.
As part of this change in institutions, Duncan will have the opportunity to work with funds granted by the National Science Foundation (NSF). In 2022, The National Science Foundation began funding the Kansas Data Science Consortium (KDSC), “a collaborative group representing colleges and universities across Kansas.”
The group has partnered with schools such as the University of Kansas, Baker University, Wichita State University, and Kansas State University. The grant has made Duncan’s new position and continued research possible.
“The grant can help pay for student travel to a yearly conference we hold, it can buy supplies, as well software licenses students may need,” Duncan said. “It does also support a full-time project coordinator and I will get to work with them pretty closely on the overall effort.”
Duncan began his academic career at Baker University. He graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Art in Music, a Bachelor of Art in International Studies, and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. During his time at Baker, Duncan was involved with the men’s choir, the band, the Parmentors, Student Senate, Math Club, Tennis, and the Music Lab school.
Immediately following his time as a Baker undergraduate, he attended Oxford University in England to obtain a Master’s degree in International Political Economy. He then received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 2021 with a Doctorate in Economics.
In 2014, he began teaching mathematics and business analytics at Baker University as an Adjunct Professor at the School of Professional Graduate Studies. Then in 2017, he joined Baker’s School of Arts and Sciences where he taught mathematics and became the coordinator of the math center for the 2019-2020 school semester. In addition to his academic involvements, Duncan also served as the house dad for the Zeta Chi fraternity for a semester in 2014 and again from the fall of 2017 to the summer of 2023.
During his time as the Zeta Chi house dad, Duncan teamed up with Dylan Kort, a 2021 graduate and teaching assistant, on a project called ‘Late Nite’ to provide a place, specifically Homestead, for Baker Students that stayed open from 9 p.m. to midnight.
“My college experience was 10 times better because Will Duncan was a part of it,” Kort said. “Not only did Will ensure I would pass statistics, he made sure I had opportunities outside of my course work as well.”
Duncan has led students through classes focused on economic development, global ethics with data, macroeconomics, statistics, and analytics, as well as Interterm trips across the pond.
“I attended Duncan’s first Interterm trip to London in 2022 to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee before heading to Oxford,” Junior Kristi Chambers said. “It was one of the best experiences I have ever had. Will Duncan planned out such a good trip. He planned events like high tea, picnics, museum tours, karaoke, and just travels to see the wonders of England.”
When Duncan’s time at Baker comes to an end, he will have led three Interterm trips, including one slated for this summer to London and Paris alongside Professor of Biology, Dr. Erin Morris.
The Baker community appreciates Duncan’s many contributions, both in and outside of the classroom, and wishes him well in his future endeavors.
