David Ward

Who is David Ward?

David Ward was the president of the American Council on Education from September 2001 to September 2008. In 2011 he was appointed Interim Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he served a prior term as Chancellor from 1993 to 2001, Provost and Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs from 1989 to 2003, and Associate Dean of the Graduate School from 1980 to 1987.

A leading scholar in urban geography, Ward received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Leeds before moving to the University of Wisconsin–Madison on a Fulbright Travel Award, and earning his doctorate there in 1963. After teaching at Carleton University and the University of British Columbia, Ward returned to UW–Madison in 1966.

Ward was born and raised in Manchester. He is married with two sons and six grandchildren. When he is not in Madison, he resides in Washington, DC.

As chancellor, Ward oversaw a major overhaul of UW–Madison's information technology infrastructure, as well as the development of a cluster-hiring program called "The Madison Initiative Investment Plan".