University of Toledo students are getting real-world experience through a Department of Mathematics and Statistics consulting service.
The Statistical Consulting Service, which has been on campus for 18 years, has been under the direction of Dr. Qin Shao, professor of mathematics, since 2010. Students in Shao’s Statistical Consulting I and II graduate-level courses usually are divided into two or three small teams to do the bulk of the analysis for the clients.
“We have been assisting the UT community on numerous projects,” Shao said. “Biostatistics is a rising science right now. We see a lot of potential for this service.”
Biostatistics involves analyzing any data that comes from human, animal, flora and fauna.
Some of the off-campus projects include work for the North American Science Associates Inc. in Northwood, Ohio, and C. Nelson Manufacturing Co. in Oak Harbor, Ohio.
“The North American Science Associates wanted our students to help them run a statistics software package called R, and we were able to help because a lot of our students are familiar with R from our graduate courses,” Shao said.
On campus, the analysis service has aided students and faculty with projects ranging from studying pediatric post-tonsillectomy hydration and pain to detecting chemical pollution in lakes.
“We want to facilitate research on campus as much as possible,” Shao said, adding the service potentially could be helpful to graduate students.
Students, faculty and staff interested in the statistics and analysis service can submit an online request here.
