Press Releases

The Water Institute welcomes Mark Bartlett, Data Science and Machine Learning Practice Lead

Apr 4, 2023

BATON ROUGE, La. (April 4, 2023) – The Water Institute is pleased to welcome Mark Bartlett as the new Data Science and Machine Learning Practice Lead. Bartlett is the newest member of the Analytics, Computing, Technology (ACT) Team at The Water Institute, a group working to build a community of practice around how emerging technologies related to data analytics, computational science, data science and machine learning can enhance ongoing and future research.

Bartlett brings 18 years of engineering and research experience to The Water Institute with expertise in hydrology, ecohydrology, statistics, data science, and machine learning working in the public and private sectors. Part of his work involved creating runoff and flood prediction tools for rapid forecasts that are replicable across landscapes and environments.

“Mark’s impressive work compliments The Water Institute’s growing team of data scientists and reaffirms our commitment to data science and machine learning to support and enhance our research,” said Hugh Roberts, senior vice president and chief operating officer at The Water Institute. “Addressing the complex challenges The Water Institute team tackles will benefit from the inclusion of machine learning and advanced data science techniques.”

Prior to joining The Water Institute, Bartlett was the lead data scientist and machine learning engineer at Stantec, after working for several years as a fellow at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture where his research included creating a model that unifies the modeling of photosynthesis.

At The Water Institute, Bartlett will be working on projects like the Louisiana Watershed Initiative, SmartPort, and real-time flood forecasting tools.

“Mark is a great addition to our team. He is a highly accomplished engineer who has developed proven solutions to a wide range of technical challenges” said Nick Howes, manager of the ACT team. “Mark brings experience, skill, and knowledge of emerging technologies. This is what makes him a wonderful fit for The Water Institute and the ideal person to lead our community of practice in data science and machine learning.”

Bartlett received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Brown University, his master’s in environmental engineering from the University of Southern California, and his Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from Duke University.

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