Simon Mak

Assistant Professor of Statistical Science

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Assistant Professor of Statistical Science
  • Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences

Contact Information

  • Office Location: 214 Old Chemistry, Box 90251, Durham, NC 27708-0251
  • Email Address: sm769@duke.edu
  • Websites:

Education

  • B.S. Simon Fraser University, 2013
  • M.S. Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018
  • Ph.D. Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018

Courses Taught

  • STA 995: Internship
  • STA 993: Independent Study
  • STA 891: Topics for Preliminary Exam Preparation in Statistical Science
  • STA 790-1: Special Topics in Statistics
  • STA 693: Research Independent Study
  • STA 643: Modern Design of Experiments
  • STA 325L: Machine Learning and Data Mining
  • STA 240L: Probability for Statistical Inference, Modeling, and Data Analysis
  • MATH 228L: Probability for Statistical Inference, Modeling, and Data Analysis

Representative Publications

  • Soudi, I., W. Zhao, A. Majumder, C. Shen, J. H. Putschke, B. Boudreaux, A. Angerami, et al. “Soft-hard framework with exact four-momentum conservation for small systems.” Physical Review C 112, no. 1 (July 17, 2025): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1103/r8jt-1xpk.
  • Ehlers, R., Y. Chen, J. Mulligan, Y. Ji, A. Kumar, S. Mak, P. M. Jacobs, et al. “Bayesian inference analysis of jet quenching using inclusive jet and hadron suppression measurements.” Physical Review C 111, no. 5 (May 1, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.111.054913.
  • Narayanan, S. R., Z. Sun, S. Yang, J. J. Miller, S. Mak, K. S. Kim, and C. B. M. Kweon. “Local-Transfer Gaussian Process (LTGP) Learning for Multi-fuel Capable Engines.” In AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition AIAA Scitech Forum 2025, 2025. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2025-0790.
  • Li, K., S. Mak, J. F. Paquet, and S. A. Bass. “Additive Multi-Index Gaussian Process Modeling, with Application to Multi-Physics Surrogate Modeling of the Quark-Gluon Plasma.” Journal of the American Statistical Association, January 1, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/01621459.2025.2529025.
  • Miller, J. J., and S. Mak. “Targeted Variance Reduction: Effective Bayesian Optimization of Black-Box Simulators with Noise Parameters.” Technometrics 67, no. 4 (January 1, 2025): 617–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/00401706.2025.2495298.