Research areas

Statistics and data sciences; Bayesian methods, theory, and application.
 

Qualifications

• BA (Economics, Political Science), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• MA (Economics, Statistics), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• PhD (Statistics), University of Washington, Seattle
   

Biography

Anton Westveld is a Senior Lecturer in Statistics.  Anton’s research interests spans Bayesian methodology and theory, network and relational data, game theoretic data, inference (uncertainty quantification) for agent based stochastic computer simulation models, and statistical causality. Anton’s research has been published in a number of leading academic journals including Annals of Applied Statistics and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA.

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Personal Website
 

Grants

Statistical Consultant (Bayesian methodology) - U.S. Greater Amberjack Research Program (https://gulfseagrant.org/reef-fish-extension/greater-amberjack-research-program/)
 

Publications

Selected Publications and Working Papers:

Marin, Santiago, Bronwyn Loong, and Anton H. Westveld. “Adaptive Shrinkage with a Nonparametric Bayesian Lasso”. Preprint: arXiv:2411.08262, Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics (2026). https://doi.org/10.1080/10618600.2025.2572327.

Marin, Santiago, Bronwyn Loong, and Anton H. Westveld. “BOB: Bayesian Optimized Bootstrap with Applications to Gaussian Mixture Models”. Preprint: arXiv:2311.03644, Statistics and Computing (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11222-025-10763-y.

Wolff, Malcolm, Adrian Dobra, Anton H. Westveld, and Grace S. Chiu. “Modeling Human Spatial Mobility Patterns with the Levy Flight Cluster Model”. arXiv Statistics Methodology (2025). https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2509.00298.

Kuh, Fui S., Grace S. Chiu, and Anton H. Westveld. “Latent Causal Socioeconomic Health Index”. arXiv Statistics Methodology (2023). https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.12217.

Wang, Jiali, Anton H. Westveld, Alan H. Welsh, Melissa Parker, and Bronwyn Loong. “Analysis of Survey on Menstrual Disorder Among Teenagers Using Gaussian Copula Model with Graphical Lasso Prior”. PLOS ONE 3 (2021): 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248340.

Chiu, Grace S., and Anton H. Westveld. “A Statistical Social Network Model for Consumption Data in Trophic Food Webs”. Preprint: https://arxiv.org/abs/1006.4432arXiv:1006.4432, Statistical
Methodology (Special issue on Modern Statistical Methods in Ecology) 17 (2014): 139–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stamet.2013.09.001.

Hurwitz, Bonnie L., Anton H. Westveld, Jennifer R. Brum, and Mathew B. Sullivan. “Modeling Ecological Drivers in Marine Viral Communities Using Comparative Metagenomics and Network Analyses”. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 111, no. 29 (2014):
10714–10719. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319778111.

Taylor, Amber, et al. “The Use of Metformin is Associated with Decreased Lumbar Radiculopathy Pain”. Journal of Pain Research 2013, no. 6 (2013): 755–763. https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S52205.

Westveld, Anton H., and Peter D. Hoff. “Modeling of the Learning Process in Centipede Games”. Preprint: arXiv:1003.2253, Stat 2, no. 1 (2013): 242–254. https://doi.org/10.1002/sta4.32.

Westveld, Anton H., and Peter D. Hoff. “A Mixed Effects Model for Longitudinal Relational and Network Data, with Applications to International Trade and Conflict”. Preprint: arXiv:1009.1436,
Annals of Applied Statistics 5, no. 2A (2011): 843–872. https://doi.org/10.1214/10-AOAS403.

Research engagement

Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Virginia Commonwealth University

Teaching

Statistical Learning (STAT3040/4040/7040)

Statistical Inference (STAT3013/4027/6027)

Introduction to Mathematical Statistics (STAT2001/6039)

Regression Modelling (STAT2008/6038/2014/6014)