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In today’s job market, biostatisticians are highly sought-after for their ability to decode the world’s most pressing health challenges. A new collaboration between the University of Florida’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Pfizer Inc. will provide students with new opportunities to explore this growing field.

Pfizer has made a gift to support a graduate student in the Department of Statistics. The award covers the recipient’s estimated cost of attendance and extends a generous stipend to the recipient. The fellowship will also provide chances for the selected student to interact directly with Pfizer through research projects and other experiential learning opportunities. The scholarship is designed to support a student who demonstrates a commitment to breaking down barriers to academic achievement — contributing to a more diverse and welcoming environment.

The inaugural recipient, Steven Goodman, is a second-year PhD candidate in statistics. His research interests have focused on spatial statistics, which applies modeling techniques to the analysis of location-based, geographical data. Goodman’s research has applications in ornithology and tropical meteorology, furthering understanding of natural phenomena.  Steven is excited to expand his knowledge of biostatistics and statistics in the pharmaceutical industry through the fellowship.

Goodman completed his undergraduate degree in statistics and mathematics at the University of Florida, graduating in Spring 2021. In his first year in the graduate program, Goodman gained experience as a graduate teaching assistant for several undergraduate courses. He also volunteers as a regional data reviewer for a citizen-science avian observation database called eBird.

Mike Daniels, professor, chair and Andrew Banks Family Endowed Chair of the Department of Statistics, worked with Pfizer to establish the fund and identify the recipient. The scholarship, which marks Pfizer’s first partnership with the department, will assist in recruiting top graduate students. “The department has a history of graduating strong PhD students, many who have gone on to successful careers in the pharmaceutical industry,” he said.

In turn, the collaboration will provide students an exclusive opportunity to see how the pharmaceutical industry works firsthand. As a global leader in the development and manufacturing of pharmaceutical products, Pfizer encourages students interested in pursuing careers in the sciences by providing financial support and resources. The company is forging ties with top-tier research institutions across the nation and the United Kingdom to expand perspectives, foster talent pipelines and prepare up-and-coming leaders for roles in data science.

Kannan Natarajan, Senior Vice President and Head of Biometrics and Data Management at Pfizer Inc. noted, “We are excited to initiate this worthy collaboration with the University of Florida and a few other universities to attract talented and diverse students to the quantitative sciences.” Natarajan, who has been instrumental in spearheading this effort also added, “with the growing importance of statistics and other data sciences, the need to foster such partnerships between academia and industry is more critical and palpable than ever before.”

As Pfizer joins forces with UF to support graduate student development, Daniels looks forward to helping cultivate the next generation of statisticians. “Opportunities like this will make our program even more attractive to strong students going forward,” Daniels said.