Affiliation
Principal Methodology Statistician, Boehringer Ingelheim, Inc.

Education
PhD, Statistics and Philosophy, University of Connecticut
MS, Statistics and Informatics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
BS, Statistics, Presidency College

Dooti Roy grew up in Kolkata, a sprawling and busy metropolis in the eastern part of India. She correlated her interest in a subject with how interesting she found the teacher. Her mother (now retired) used to be a high-school mathematics teacher, so her relationship with mathematics and love for the subject came early.

Roy is an only child and remembers spending many of her weekends working on puzzles and combinatorics and reading storybooks. Her introduction to statistics took place when she was 16, and she thinks it is fortunate that statistics and she continued to like each other.

Roy pursued a bachelor’s degree from Presidency College (Presi), Kolkata, and then attended the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IITKGP), for a master’s degree in statistics and informatics. During those five years of college, she grew to understand herself better and decided she was serious enough about statistics to apply for a PhD program in the United States. Because Roy comes from a modest family, the only way she could attend a university in the US was by receiving a graduate fellowship. She was accepted into several universities but picked the University of Connecticut.

Coming to the US was a huge culture shock, and Roy realized how big and diverse the world actually is. She remembers the uncertain looks, hesitant smiles, and awkward pauses. Slowly, however, those smiles came easier, the looks became friendlier, and the awkward pauses vanished, leaving behind a melting pot of encouraging allies and friends. Today, Roy has been in the US for more than a decade and it feels like home to her.

During her PhD studies, Roy experimented with different jobs through internships to figure out what she enjoyed (and what she did not). She has met amazing people (teachers, mentors, and friends), who shared their insights with her and still inspire her every day.

Roy works as a methodologist in a pharmaceutical company, where her days are spent learning, researching, and implementing statistical methods to make clinical trials more efficient. Almost five and a half years into her job, she loves what she does every day. Her job is challenging and allows her to learn constantly and solve meaningful and complex problems to help patients in need.

Roy thinks the best aspect of her career is making connections. She loves meeting people and learning about their lives. She has made many meaningful connections in the past decade, which she says make her life here worth living. For all the love and encouragement she receives, she loves the idea of giving back. She is a proud mentor to many younger statisticians and serves her community by volunteering with the ASA, New England Statistical Society, and others. She hopes to grow old in a more loving, connected, and empathetic world.