Coleman Harris

Karl E. Peace embodies the humanitarian spirit of “Data for Good,” citing adversities in his life as opportunities to push his career to greater heights. He grew up as a member of a share-cropping family in Southwest Georgia, to parents with fewer than five years of schooling between them. Building on an acumen for mathematics and encouragement from his mother, he sought to attend college after graduating high school.

Not having any money of his own, Peace borrowed $532 for two quarters of tuition, room, and board at Georgia Southern College. He then combined income from seven part-time jobs and a Georgia State Teacher’s scholarship to finish his undergraduate degree in chemistry, while supporting his mother and younger siblings.

Peace went on to pursue a master’s degree in mathematics at Clemson University, before returning to Georgia Southern to teach. Gaining significant interest in statistics, he taught full time at Randolph-Macon College while pursuing a PhD in biostatistics from the Medical College of Virginia.

Peace began his career in the pharmaceutical industry at Burroughs-Wellcome as an entry-level statistician. He then joined A.H. Robins as the manager of clinical statistics and, nearly two years later, became director of research statistics at SmithKline and French Labs.

In 1986, Peace accepted a position as the senior director of gastrointestinal clinical studies and clinical operations at G.D. Searle. There, he was responsible for functions such as biostatistics and clinical trial management. He also ran the clinical development program for Cytotec, the first FDA-approved drug for preventing NSAID-induced gastric ulcers.

Just two years later, Peace became the vice president of WW Technical Operations at Parke-Davis/Warner Lambert. Ten short years after his start as an entry-level statistician, Peace had climbed the leadership ranks of the pharmaceutical industry. This provided the opportunity for him to contribute to the approval of many drugs across treatment classes.

Peace then started his own contract research organization (CRO) in 1989—Biopharmaceutical Research Consultants (BRCI). The venture proved successful, providing research and development consultation to more than 50 companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space.

Discouraged by the lack of public health programs in his home state, Peace left BRCI to lay the groundwork for the first college of public health in the University System of Georgia. He endowed the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, named for his late wife, and continues to promote and help maintain the program at Georgia Southern. This includes establishing the MPH in biostatistics and founding the Karl E. Peace Center for Biostatistics.

Peace’s contributions do not stop there. He pursues philanthropic causes, including nearly two dozen endowments and numerous contributions to local organizations in Georgia. He also founded two capstones of the biopharmaceutical statistics field, the Journal of Biopharmaceutical Statistics and the Biopharmaceutical Applied Statistics Symposium.

Peace’s career culminates in more than 50 awards and honors that detail his commitment to excellence, philanthropy, and Data for Good. A true humanitarian, he personifies one of his favorite quotes from Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables: “Life is to give, not to take.” – Jean Valjean

Q&A with Karl E. Peace

What attracted you to statistics? Why this field?

The two-semester sequence, Introduction to Probability and Statistics, during my master’s degree in mathematics at Clemson was the first time I studied probability or statistics. I had a more natural affinity to probability and statistics than I did for other math courses.

Later, while completing my PhD in biostatistics at the Medical College of Virginia, I had the opportunity to consult with physicians engaged in interesting research and pharmaceutical industry statisticians. This showed me the good that biostatisticians can achieve by working in the pharmaceutical industry, collaborating with clinical scientists and physicians.

What does ‘Data for Good’ mean to you?

It can mean different things to different people, and perhaps implies that there is some data that is not used for good. I like the definition from Gartner: Data for good is “a movement in which people and organizations transcend organizational boundaries to use data to improve society.” I think this most closely parallels my efforts for good over the years.

What recommendations do you have for researchers interested in working in this area?

My advice is to learn as much as you can about statistical theory and applications and become as proficient as possible in statistical analysis software—particularly SAS and R. Realize that what you know at one point in time is just a snapshot of what you’ll need to know in the future to become and continue to be an expert statistician; learning is lifelong.

Review the accomplishments, advice, and philosophies of great statisticians (e.g., Chin-Long Chang, Marvin Zelen, Richard Simon, Gary Koch). To be successful, a statistician must convey to clients that they truly want to help solve real-world problems. They must develop critical thinking skills and communicate statistical concepts and methods to nonstatisticians in words, not formulae!

Don Berry’s article in Amstat News also provides excellent advice for statisticians of all ages.

Do you have any advice for students interested in pursuing careers in the Data for Good space?

Follow what makes you feel good, if the financial remuneration allows you to continue to do those things. So, I’d say follow your dream. As someone once said, “If you do as a professional what you love doing, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

What makes a good statistician?

The ability to think logically; fidelity to the scientific method; the desire to solve problems and help clients; good listening, communication, and presentation skills; thirst for quality; attention to detail; and knowledge of statistics and computational software packages such as SAS and R.

Your work has crossed boundaries of academia and industry. Is one medium better than another for Data for Good? Are their concessions to each that balance out?

It depends on the individual. From observation, I think there are more differences than similarities. Statisticians in industry provide at least a full day of quality productivity every day of the week, with little time to engage in ‘water fountain’ gossip. In contrast, many academicians may have too much time on their hands. Two superb academic biostatisticians who come to mind are the late Marvin Zelen and Gary Koch. Both were/are outstanding teachers who combine theory with their own practical experience gained from the industry. So, the best teachers of biostatistics are those who have direct experience in the design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of real-world experiments and who learned to deal with the myriad logistical problems that arise.

Many doctoral graduates in biostatistics elect to pursue an academic teaching position, while others pursue a career in industry. I would advise biostatistics students to search their heart and soul honestly. If you have a passion for teaching students, then a position in academia is relevant. However, if your passion is solving real-world problems, then industry might be a better career fit.