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.