Kansas University officials on Monday mourned the death of Michael “Mickey” Waxman, a longtime statistical data consultant known as an expert in combating computer viruses.

Waxman died Wednesday at his home in Baldwin City. He was 63.

“On behalf of the University of Kansas, I offer my condolences to Michael Waxman’s family and friends, who include the many students he helped,” KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said.

Waxman earned a master’s degree in social psychology from KU and outside of his studies had been a founding member of a commune, a tugboat deckhand and a volunteer at a kibbutz in Israel.

A KU employee since 1983, Waxman worked for KU Libraries, where he helped many faculty and graduate students analyze complicated data. Often he earned mentions in the acknowledgement sections of dissertations.

“Mickey was a valued and important member of our KU Libraries family, and his work at KU touched hundreds of faculty, staff and students,” said Lorraine Haricombe, dean of libraries.

“We were fortunate to have the opportunity to know him, both professionally and personally,” she said.