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  • 2023
  • Summer statistics program celebrates 20 years of impact

Summer statistics program celebrates 20 years of impact

By: Elizabeth Ellis

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Javier Rojo, Ph.D.

2023 marks the 20th year of the Research for Undergraduates Summer Institute of Statistics (RUSIS) managed by founder Javier Rojo, Ph.D. at Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B). RUSIS started as the Rice University Summer Institute of Statistics in 2003. It moved to the University of Nevada at Reno in 2014 and the Oregon State University in 2017. It has been held at Indiana University for two consecutive summers.

The program allows underrepresented minority undergraduate students to jumpstart their career interests in statistics and biostatistics at SPH-B. Dean’s Eminent Scholar and Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Dr. Rojo shared in a recent conversation that students who attend RUSIS often do not have access to such in-depth programs at their current educational institutions, and the summer program helps bridge a gap to a successful career path. Since the program’s inception, 43 RUSIS alumni have obtained their Ph.D., at least 21 are currently in Ph.D. programs, and 100 percent have graduated from college with undergraduate degrees, according to Dr. Rojo.

"When [the participants] come in I ask them who has thought about going to grad school and getting a Ph.D., maybe one hand goes up," shares Dr. Rojo. "Then I ask, ‘Who has thought about a career in statistics or biostatistics?’ And they say, 'Oh no I want to be an engineer, a chemist, or I want to be a businessman.' Okay fine. By the end of the summer, I ask them the same questions—and almost all hands will go up for yes."

SPH-B was proud to host 14 RUSIS students over 10 weeks in the summer of 2023. The first four weeks the participants focused mainly on probability and statistics, with a course in statistical computing. The students then split up into groups of three, choosing whom they would like to work with and a research topic from a list provided to them.

"There is an understanding that their first choice of project and teammates is not always what they will get, so I ask them to give me three choices," says Dr. Rojo. "It is a learning experience not only about the statistical research, but also about being able to collaborate with other students."

Since its 2003 inception at Rice University, the program has been consistently backed by grants from the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). In May 2023, the NSF granted Dr. Rojo $459,175 for three years of support—and the NSA provided $124,586.00 for one year. Over the years RUSIS has been recognized by the American Mathematical Society (AMS) and AMS subgroup Women Doing Mathematics as well as receiving a letter of recognition from the NSA for sparking interest in statistics as a viable career path and bringing underrepresented minorities and women into the field.

Beverly Gonzalez, Ph.D., a Mathematical Statistician at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in the greater Chicago area, was one of the very first RUSIS participants. Dr. Gonzalez first learned about RUSIS at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign while working toward a bachelor's degree in science and mathematics.

Beverly Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Beverly Gonzalez, Ph.D.

"I saw a flyer describing RUSIS and although I had participated in a mathematical program the summer before, my area of expertise was not statistics and I was hesitant to apply," shared Dr. Gonzalez in a recent conversation. "I did apply however, and Dr. Rojo was wonderful. Very early on in the workshop I was introduced to topics that I had never heard of and quickly became part of a group to work on a summer research project." 

Amongst many prestigious achievements, Dr. Gonzalez serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago—and attributes her professional success to Dr. Rojo.

"[RUSIS] changed my life in many positive ways…Dr. Rojo was the reason why I am in the field," she says. "Dr. Rojo called me and encouraged me to attend. I did, and it changed my life and career trajectory. Since then, I also have been able to mentor students in the classes I teach and engage in incredible research where I am the sole biostatistician providing feedback. I am extremely grateful for what Dr. Rojo did that summer for me as an undergraduate."

Learn more about SPH-B faculty’s local and global impact at go.iu.edu/48bx.

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