Statistical Consulting

The Statistical Consulting activities at Kansas State University were formalized in 1946 with the foundation of the Statistical Consulting Laboratory. Since then, Statistical Consulting at K-State has focused on providing statistical expertise in support of research and scholarship of Kansas State University scientists. This proud tradition continues today.

With the creation of the K-State Department of Statistics in 1959, the Statistical Consulting Lab was moved and formally housed within Statistics. Since then, the Statistical Consulting Lab has since been managed by Statistics faculty, staff and graduate research assistants with financial support from the K-State College of Arts and Sciences and Kansas State Research and Extension (previously, Kansas Agricultural Experimental Station).

The land-grant mission of Kansas State University allows for a broad range of high quality research programs in the sciences, with special emphasis on agriculture. Such foundation creates a plethora of opportunities for Statistics faculty and graduate students to engage collaboratively in important areas of scientific applications as well as to motivate the development of the statistical sciences in new directions. Many Statistics faculty engage in interdisciplinary collaborative research and consulting with scientists across a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from the agricultural sciences to the humanities and engineering.

The Statistical Consulting Lab also provides opportunities for training graduate students in solving real-world problems. As a results, many of our students successfully pursue professional opportunities in private industry after graduation. Statistics students are strongly encouraged to get involved in collaborative research and consulting activities of the Department and the Statistical Consulting Laboratory. Interested students work closely with faculty on a range of problems, some of them under the sponsorship of graduate research assistantships. Projects vary in length of time and sophistication of the statistical methods needed. Students also gain formal training in the professional skills needed for successful statistical consulting and communication through the course STAT 945 – Problems in Statistical Consulting.

Currently, consulting through the Statistical Consulting Lab is provided by Statistics graduate students under the supervision of Statistics faculty.