Baylor Department of Statistical Science Hosts Tom Bratcher Lectures

Media Contact: Terry Goodrich, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-3321
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by Jessie Jilovec, student newswriter, Baylor University Media and Public Relations

WACO, Texas (April 8, 2019) – The Baylor University department of statistical science will host Lisa LaVange, Ph.D., professor and associate chair in the department of biostatistics and director of the Collaborative Studies Coordinating Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for the Tom Bratcher Memorial Lectures.

At 4 p.m. Thursday, April 11, in Room 101 of Marrs McLean Science Building, 1214 S. Fourth St., LaVange will present “Opportunities and Challenges in Clinical Research with the Use of Big Data and Novel Trial Designs.” At 10 a.m. Friday, April 12, in Room 301 of Marrs McLean Science Building, she will present “Reflections on Statistical Practice, Leadership and Training.”

“Dr. LaVange has extensive experience working on drug development in industry, federal and academic settings,” said Amanda S. Hering, Ph.D., associate professor of statistical science in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. “Her work connects to two of Baylor University’s signature academic initiatives, namely health and data science. She is a leader in developing and assessing the effectiveness and appropriateness of innovative statistical methods intended to accelerate the process from drug discovery to clinical trials to FDA approval and patients’ benefit, with a particular focus on rare diseases.”

Last year, LaVange was president of the American Statistical Association, the primary professional organization for statisticians in the United States, which has more than 18,000 members. She is passionate about leadership and training among statisticians, Hering said.

The Tom Bratcher Lecture Series is held in honor of a Baylor professor who was instrumental in founding the department of statistical science in 2004. Bratcher also established the Conference of Texas Statisticians, which has been running annually for nearly 40 years. This year will mark the fifth lecture named in his honor since his passing in 2011.

“We hope that attendees will see the impact and importance of probability and statistics in every day life from the perspective of someone who has had an expansive and influential career,” Hering said. “Each year, the faculty invite someone who is known for bringing clarity to difficult concepts and whose research is of interest to Baylor at large.”

For more information, visit the statistical science website.

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