David Ward (born July 8, 1938, in Manchester, England) 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.[1]
Ward was born and raised in Manchester. He is married with two grown sons and seven grandchildren, two of whom are Wisconsin alumni. After his retirement from his second stint as chancellor, Ward and his wife Judith relocated to the Los Angeles area.[3]
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". Ward's chancellorship also saw the creation of new undergraduate residential learning communities on campus and the construction and opening of the Kohl Center.
In 2011, following Carolyn "Biddy" Martin's resignation to become president of Amherst College, Ward was appointed interim chancellor of UW-Madison to serve until a permanent replacement could be found. He served a two-year term from 2011-2013 until Rebecca Blank was hired.[4]