Statistical Consulting in a University Environment: A Graduate Student Perspective

• Activity Number: 32
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Sunday, August 11, 2002 : 4:00 PM to 5:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Consulting*
• Author(s): Dan Pontzer*+ and Stacey Wicker+
• Affiliation(s): Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Indiana University of Pennsylvania
• Keywords: statistical consulting ; consulting

Abstract

Dan Pontzer, a criminology doctoral student, and Stacey Wicker, a geography graduate student, are both statistical consultants at the Applied Research Lab at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The Applied Research Lab (ARL) provides technical assistance to faculty, staff, students, administrators, and the general public engaged in research. This assistance may include helping with hypothesis formulation, instrument design, data collection, data organization, data analysis, use of the computer for data analysis, and interpretation of statistical results. The presentation will focus on the role of a statistical consultant in a university environment from the perspective of a graduate student. Topics of discussion will include: obstacles facing graduate student statistical consultants; qualities that characterize the successful graduate student consultant; issues and difficulties in dealing with a diverse client pool with varying degrees of statistical knowledge; suggestions in creating and maintaining a successful university statistical consulting center; expectations of this experience in increasing employment marketability and enhancing research effectiveness.