Quick Facts

Biostatistics and Data Science Graduate Students

Period	PhD	MS	MPH	Total
1970-1980	11	32	-	43
1981-1990	20	18	-	38
1991-1995	10	16	-	26
1996-2000	17	24	-	41
2001-2005	16	34	-	50
2006-2010	21	32	3	56
2011-2015	44	66	26	136
2016-2020	59	39	23	121
2021-2024	49	47	10	106
Grand Total	247	308	62	617

Data Science Certificates

Year	Data Science Certificate	Advanced Data Science Certificate	Total
2019	3	-	3
2020	15	-	15
2021	19	2	21
2022	23	7	30
Grand Totol	60	9	69

 

• 1970: First M.S. student in Biometry awarded.
• 1973: First Ph.D. student in Biometry awarded.
• 2009: First M.P.H. student in Biostatistics awarded.
• 2019: First Data Science Certificate awarded.
• 2022: First Advanced Data Science Certificate awarded.

Department History and Milestones

Authorized in 1947, the Texas State Legislature appropriated funds for the UT School of Public Health in 1967. The first class was admitted in 1969. Currently it is one of the six schools in  The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), a public academic health science center in Houston, Texas, which was created in 1972 by The University of Texas System Board of Regents.  It is located in the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world.

1967

• The University of Texas School of Public Health (UTSPH) is established.

1969

• The Biometry Program was founded by Dr. Richard D. Remington
• First biometry faculty recruited and first biometry student enrolled
• UTSPH is housed in the Anderson Mayfair Hotel.

1970

• Matrix structure of UTSPH is formed to foster interdisciplinary teaching and research
• First biometry M.S. degree awarded.
• Trailers help temporarily accommodate School’s growth.

1971

• A group of Biometry Faculty, led by Dr. Richard D. Remington, are awarded the 15-year contract for the Hypertension Detection and Follow-Up Program (HDFP) Coordinating Center from the National Heart and Lung Institute of NIH, which is the largest single intervention clinical trial ever conducted in the USA.
• UTSPH and Biometry Program move to Phase I Building

1973

• First biometry Ph.D. degree awarded to Judy B. Bean

1974

• Richard D. Remington leaves UTSPH to become the Dean of University of Michigan School of Public Health
• Ralph Frankowski succeeds Dr. Richard D. Remington as the Convener of Biometry Program

1975

• Degrees awarded to date: 16 M.S. and 3 Ph.D.

1977

• Robert Hardy succeeds Dr. Ralph Frankowski as the Convener of Biometry Program

1980

• Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials (CCCT) is established.
• UTSPH Biometry Program co-hosts the American Statistical Association (ASA) annual meeting in Houston (Shamrock Hotel)
• Degrees awarded to date: 32 M.S. and 11 Ph.D.

1983

• Ronald Forthofer succeeds Dr. Robert Hardy as the Convener of Biometry Program

1984

• Jay H. Glasser succeeds Dr. Ronald Forthofer as the Convener of Biometry Program

1985:

• Degrees awarded to date: 38 M.S. and 19 Ph.D.

1987:

• A new “Data Analysis Track” was established in M.S. Biometry Program
• Mort Hawkins is appointed as Associate Dean for Research in UTSPH

1988:

• Robert Hardy is appointed as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in UTSPH
• Eun Sul Lee succeeds Dr. Jay H. Glasser as the Convener of Biometry Program

1989

• First M.S. degree in Data Analysis Track is awarded

1990

• Asha Kapadia succeeds Dr. Eun Sul Lee as the Convener of Biometry Program
• Degrees awarded to date: 50 M.S. and 31 Ph.D.

1991

• Barbara Tilley, a 1981 graduate of the Biometry Ph.D. Program becomes president of the Eastern North American Region (ENAR) of the Biometry Society.

1993

• Ronald Harrist succeeds Dr. Asha Kapadia as the Convener of Biometry Program

1995

• Robert Hardy succeeds Dr. Ronald Harrist as the Convener of Biometry Program
• Degrees awarded to date: 66 M.S. and 41 Ph.D.

1997

• Barry R. Davis succeeds Dr. Robert Hardy as the Convener of Biometry Program

2000

• Degrees awarded to date: 90 M.S. and 58 Ph.D.

2001

• Robert Hardy succeeds Dr. Barry R. Davis as the Convener of Biometry Program

2003

• Division of Biometry is renamed as “Division of Biostatistics.”
• Barry Davis succeeds Dr. Robert Hardy as the Director of the Division of Biostatistics
• Our faculty, Dr. Jay Glasser, was elected as the President of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

2006

• Robert Hardy succeeds Dr. Barry R. Davis as the Director of the Division of Biostatistics

2009

• Division of Biostatistics is renamed as the “Department of Biostatistics.”
• Dr. Barbara Tilley is recruited to succeed Dr. Robert Hardy as the Chair of Department of Biostatistics
• The first M.P.H. degree in Biostatistics awarded

2010

• Degrees awarded to date: 3 M.P.H., 156 M.S. and 95 Ph.D.

2015

• Degrees awarded to date: 29 M.P.H., 222 M.S. and 139 Ph.D.

2016

• Barry R. Davis succeeds Dr. Barbara Tilley as the Interim Chair of Department of Biostatistics

2017

• Hulin Wu succeeds Dr. Barry R. Davis as the Chair of Department of Biostatistics
• The new name of the department, “Department of Biostatistics and Data Science,” was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)

2018

• First faculty in Data Science with Ph.D. Training in Computer Science is recruited
• A task force is established to develop data science education programs
• Center for Big Data in Health Sciences is established
• Center for Biostatistics Collaboration and Data Services is established
• AMSTATNEWS (August 2018) ranked our Ph.D. program among the top 6 largest Biostatistics Ph.D. program (ranked #2 in the number of doctoral students graduated from 2013-2017).

2019

• Six new data science courses are developed
• Two Data Science Certificates (Basic and Advanced) are established
• The first Data Science Certificate awarded

2020

• Degrees awarded to date: 52 M.P.H., 261 M.S. and 198 Ph.D.

2021

• The first Advanced Data Science Certificate awarded

2022

• Data Science Certificates awarded to date: 9 Advanced, 60 Basic

2023

• The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) approved our Ph.D. and M.S. degree name change to “Biostatistics and Data Science”.
• A new Center for Spatial?Temporal Modeling for Applications in Population Sciences (CSMAPS) is established.