DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA (803)-777-7800 William J. Padgett, Chairman E-mail: padgett@stat.sc.edu
The faculty and staff of the Department of Statistics send greetings and best wishes for the season to graduates, former faculty and staff, and friends. There have been many changes and activities in the Department during the past year, and this annual newsletter will bring you up to date. Also, as always, we would like to hear news about our former students, staff and faculty members. Please take a few minutes to complete and return the form at the end of the newsletter.
Several changes in the department occurred during the summer of 1996. We gained new space in LeConte in June and moved the Department Office from the fourth floor to the second--rooms 214, 216 and 218. We now have much less cramped quarters for the office staff, supplies, storage, graduate office, and other records. Also, some additional graduate assistant offices were obtained in suite 212, and the classroom 210A was acquired (relinquishing 316 to the Mathematics Department). We also were able to move the STAT 201 and SCCC 312A laboratories into rooms 200A and 205 in LeConte, so these labs are in the same building as the rest of the department for the first time! We share a lounge (room 213, the former Computer Science Department lounge) with the Air Force ROTC and the Navy ROTC Departments which moved onto the second floor of LeConte also last summer. The Alumni Computing Lab remains on the first floor.
On the fourth floor, the StatLab moved into the 421-423 area, the former Department Office. Most of the faculty stayed in the 420A-K complex with the exception of Don Edwards and John Spurrier, who moved into new offices on the second floor. Hence, the Department's space situation is much improved due to these moves! If you get a chance to drop by, please come for a visit and see the new setup! A good opportunity will be on Homecoming Weekend 1997. We typically have an open house on late Friday afternoon of that weekend.
Several changes in the Department's "leadership" occurred in 1996. On July 1, John Spurrier completed his term as Chairman, and Joe Padgett assumed the Chair's duties again after a three-year break. At the same time, Don Edwards became the Director of Graduate Studies and Assistant Chairman, and Lori Thombs assumed the duties of Director of Undergraduate Studies. Also, Walt Piegorsch was promoted to the rank of Professor with tenure effective August 16.
The Office staff also underwent a total change in 1996. Lauren Rachwal left the Department in January to be a full-time mom (little Edwin Scott Rachwal was born in November, 1995). Replacing Lauren beginning last February is Kim Aaron. On November 1, Sue Darlington became the Office Manager for the Center for Science Education, located in the Sumwalt Building. Replacing Sue, also on November 1, Nancy Brazzell became the Administrative Assistant/Business Manager for our department. Nancy had worked previously in the Dean's Office and in the Science Education Center in the College of Science and Mathematics. Nancy and Kim are pictured below.
Nancy
Kim
No new faculty were hired for 1996-97, so we still have ten faculty members, plus "the retired guy" (Steve Durham) who is continuing to do research on an NSF grant with Jim Lynch and Joe Padgett and to serve on some graduate student committees. Holmes Finch continues as the StatLab Manager and John Grego is the faculty StatLab Director. Also, this fall there are 22 graduate teaching and research assistants supported in various capacities by the department and by research contracts and grants.
We heard news about two of our former faculty members this year. Jeff Robinson, who is still at General Motors Research Laboratories in Warren, Michigan, was elected a Fellow of the American Statistical Association in August at the Annual Joint Statistical Meetings in Chicago. Congratulations, Jeff!
Denny Weier took a position at Battelle-Northwest Pacific Laboratory. He was formerly at Rocky Flats, Colorado. His new e-mail address is dr_weier@ccmail.pnl.gov .
Statistics course enrollments reached an all-time high this fall, going over 1000 for the semester! Course enrollments have had a steady growth over the past dozen years by three to four percent per year. Many majors within the University are now requiring STAT.
A new graduate program was begun in the fall of 1995, the Master of Industrial Statistics degree. This "professional degree" program is unique in that at least two years of work experience is required for admission. This fall there are six students enrolled in the program, all of whom are working full time while studying toward the degree.
A new experimental course on Environmental Statistics was offered for the first time this fall. The course was co-taught by Don Edwards and Walt Piegorsch, and it is expected that the course will be a permanent addition to the curriculum in the near future.
Thanks to the hard work of several faculty members, including Web West, Todd Ogden, Tony Rossini and Walt Piegorsch, the Department has continued to improve its home page on the World Wide Web. The page now includes information about the Department, course syllabi and outlines, campus pictures, pictures of the faculty and staff, and links to other homepages. You are invited to check it out if you have not yet seen it! The URL is http://www.stat.sc.edu/ .
The Statistical Laboratory has had another record-setting year of activities! John Grego, Holmes Finch and the research assistants, both graduate and undergraduate, have been working on several projects. The year-long project on estimating the effect of public service advertising on the use of seat belts across the state for the SC Department of Public Transportation was just completed. StatLab personnel serve as evaluators for the South Carolina Alliance for Minority Participation, an NSF project designed to produce more minority scientists and engineers. Several projects for local industrial and government agencies also have kept the Lab extremely busy.
The Statistics Department band that you heard about in the last newsletter has been named "The Tragic Mu's" and played as the only entertainment at the Student Mixer at the Joint Statistical Meetings in Chicago in August. The "gig" was so successful that the "Mu's" have been invited to entertain at next year's meeting in Anaheim! The only question is: Can they drive a van full of equipment 3,000 miles in two days?
The Department was also ably represented in the College Bowl at the Chicago meetings. Don Edwards was the College Bowl organizer this year and coach of the USC team. After a strong fight, our team consisting of Jason Owen, Wanzhu Tu, Jesse Cunningham, Jennifer Lasecki, and Beth Walters (alternate) lost to the University of Iowa team! Wait 'til next year!
We are always looking for a few good students. Please send names, addresses, and phone numbers of potential students for our undergraduate or graduate programs. Lori Thombs, (803) 777-5163, is our undergraduate director and Don Edwards, (803) 777-5073, is our graduate director. Their address is Department of Statistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 and they can be reached by e-mail at thombs@stat.sc.edu and edwards@stat.sc.edu, respectively.
The Department will host an NSF-sponsored workshop to train college faculty members on the use of "hands-on" laboratory exercises in elementary statistics. The workshop will be held on June 24-28, 1997, and is limited to 24 participants. John Spurrier and Lori Thombs will lead the workshop.
Funding is available to support local expenses of all selected participants. In addition, five stipends of up to $250 are available to help defray travel expenses for participants from colleges that cannot provide support.
Participants will take part in ten laboratory experiences which illustrate important concepts of applied statistics. In addition, participants will discuss strategies for leading a laboratory session, using student teams, having students produce written reports, obtaining equipment, scheduling, constructing new laboratory exercises, generating enrollments, and training lab assistants.
To obtain an application form or more information about the workshop, contact John Spurrier by e-mail (spurrier@stat.sc.edu) or by mail.
All of our faculty are very busy with professional activities, instructional activities, and statistical research. The following are exciting examples:
Please send information regarding new job, spouse, kids, or address to Joe Padgett, Department of Statistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (or padgett@stat.sc.edu). A form is included for your convenience.
We are interested in learning how your USC education has helped you. Also, any suggestions you might have to improve our Department are welcome. Some quotes selected from your responses might end up in our brochures!
Several of our alumni and friends have made generous contributions to the department. These donations allow us to support many activities that would not otherwise be possible. Contributions can be made to either of two funds within the USC Educational Foundation. Some employers provide a matching gifts program, also.
The Department of Statistics Fund (Account 1A3410) helps provide computer software for student use, supports annual awards for top undergraduate and graduate students, helps support student receptions and other activties. Major contributions could be used to support undergraduate scholarships or help to establish chaired professorships.
The W. J. Padgett Fellowship Fund (account 1B1593) was established in 1993 and helps us attract outstanding graduate students to the Department by offering supplemental fellowships annually. The fellowships are funded with interest from the account. Thus, contributions to this account will continue to help young statisticians into the future.
The Statistics Department Faculty and Staff Wish You a Happy Holiday Season!