Consulting Projects and Activities - Spring 2006

Projects

1. • Project: Statistical Input for a R01 NIH Grant
   • Client: Robert S. Poston, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Maryland, Medical School
   • Description: Initial work on the statistical analysis to be included in the Methods section of an NIH grant. Long term work included all statistical analysis throughout the course of the study.


2. • Project: Development of a Database Application
   • Client: Dr. Mukund S. Didolkar, MD, Director, Surgical Oncology, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
   • Description: Developed a database application in Microsoft Access to facilitate the data entry process and storage of the study data.


3. • Project: Development of a Database Application
   • Client: Dr. Uri Tasch, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UMBC
   • Description: Developed a database application in Microsoft Access to simplify and control the data entry process and to organize and store the data in a form that is immediately portable for statistical analysis.


4. • Project: Development of a Database Application
   • Client: Barry Nussbaum, Ph.D., Office of Environmental Information, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
   • Description: Developed a database application in Microsoft Access that allows the user to access Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data over several years and identify potential outliers in the data.


5. • Project: Statistical Input on Time Series Data
   • Client: Kathleen Price, Ph.D. student in Information Systems, UMBC, Advisor: Dr. Andrew Sears
   • Description: Provided guidance on the standardization of a data collection process and preliminary input on possible statistical methods for analyzing time series data.


6. • Project: Development of a Web Based Survey
   • Client: Katherine Fugol, student in Statistics and English, UMBC
   • Description: Provided guidance throughout the process of developing an on-line survey.


7. • Project: Modification of C/C++ Code
   • Client: Dr. David Salkever, Department of Public Policy, UMBC
   • Description: Generalization of a C/C++ code that implements a statistical method to accept additional input parameters and ports to a Macintosh platform.


8. • Project: Development of MATLAB Code
   • Client: Dr. Holly Gaff, UMB
   • Description: Implementation of a numerical method for partial differential equations that was used inside an optimal control code.


9. • Project: Menus for R Programs Performing Specific Data Analysis Tasks
   • Client: Office of Quality, USEPA
   • Description: Developed easy to use interfaces for R programs. The interfaces were used in the statistical training modules by the Office of Quality.

Also Consulted With

• Dr. Mauricio M. Bustos, Professor of Biology, UMBC. Discussed possible statistical techniques for sample size determination
• Daphne Washington, Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Advisor: Dr. John Ramano. Advised on organization and survey design that was used as a part of the thesis project
• Charles Noback. Instructor: Tim Oates. Student Project - Advised on how to perform statistical comparison of two Poisson counts with appropriate references for methodology and software
• David Bach, Scientific Products and Systems, UMBC South Campus. Discussed some instability issues with the controller for a peristaltic pump. Advised on performing a design experiment to investigate the use of a venturimeter to build a feedback controller

Other Activities

• Hands-on software workshops advertised (flyers, Insights Weekly, UMBC homepage) and held bi-weekly on FEMLAB, SAS, MATLAB, S-Plus, and Microsoft Access
• Photos taken by Aaptha Murthy at department hosted Finite Element Circus conference

Infrastructure

• CIRC webpage developed at http://www.math.umbc.edu/circ, including making available on- and off-campus consulting request forms
• Promotional brochure developed
• Office space MP409 cleared and renovated
• Contract and invoice documents developed and account and fee structure set up in collaboration with UMBC legal counsel
• First semester with 2 RAs (1 Math, 1 Stat): Aaptha Murthy and Justin Newcomer