The Science of Numbers
A University department whose work stretches from engineering to health care to natural resources management continues to benefit from private giving that encourages such broad-focused research.
In the last year, faculty from the Department of Statistics have worked on collaborative projects with colleagues in civil engineering, computer science, ecology and evolutionary biology, finance, geography, mathematics, molecular and cell biology, nutrition, pathobiology, pharmacy, psychiatry and natural resources management. In addition, the department works with various centers within UConn, departments at the UConn Health Center and at universities spanning the globe from South Korea to Brazil, as well as nearly a dozen in the United States.
“When we collaborate with another department on a specific project, we’re both able to see benefits in our work,” says Dipak Dey, Ph.D., department head and winner of an Alumni Association award for excellence in research. Dey’s own work includes statistical analysis of cancer survival rates in Iowa as well as various applications of statistical modeling issues in Biostatistics and Bioinformatics.
“All of our projects focus on turning complicated data into something that other researchers can quickly use in their own work,” he adds.
Financial support for his work in biostatistics is provided by the Elizabeth M. Macfarlane ‘39 Fund, established by alumna Elizabeth Macfarlane because of her own lifelong professional work and interest in public health issues. Macfarlane, one of only two female mathematics majors in UConn’s class of 1939, is a member of the Charles Lewis Beach Society, and has also funded a graduate fellowship in biostatistics and an undergraduate scholarship.
“Such specialized support in a field like ours means that we can focus our energy on what makes the biggest impact, which is taking this raw data and bringing it to life,” says Dey.
