The Section on Physical and Engineering Sciences recently relaunched the Marquardt Memorial Industrial Speakers Program. Established in 1998 through a gift from Margaret Marquardt in memory of Donald W. Marquardt—an ASA Fellow and former ASA president—the program strengthens ties between industrial statisticians and academic training programs by bringing practitioners directly to campus. The program’s mission is to familiarize graduate students and advanced undergraduates with the role of statisticians in industry, create opportunities for students to learn about real-world statistical practice, and facilitate collaborations between industry statisticians and academic researchers.
Revitalized by Devon Lin, SPES chair and professor of statistics at Queen’s University, the first renewed event was hosted by the department of statistics at North Carolina State University on September 27. Jon Stallrich, associate professor and director of PhD programs in statistics at NCSU, organized the visit by Ryan Lekivetz of JMP Statistical Discovery. Lekivetz gave a seminar titled “Navigating the Complexities of Statistical Software Development,” which was attended by more than 50 students and faculty. His talk addressed practical challenges that arise when building and deploying statistical software, including considerations around reproducibility and testing, working with nonstatistical collaborators, and the software-development lifecycle as it intersects with statistical reasoning.
After the talk, Lekivetz met with students and faculty. He held informal discussions before and after the seminar and joined a student lunch attended by more than 20 statistics graduate students. Students asked career-focused questions and gained insights into the skills and experiences valued in industry roles. Lekivetz also met with faculty over breakfast and held one-on-one meetings, providing opportunities to discuss potential collaborations and research directions with an industry practitioner.
Faculty and students reported that the visit successfully illuminated the day-to-day responsibilities of industrial statisticians, the skills most valued by employers, and practical pathways from graduate training to industry roles. Second-year PhD student Julia Jammalo said, “I really enjoyed hearing about Ryan’s experience as a statistician in industry. He emphasized that strong communication skills are just as important as technical abilities like coding. I also found it insightful when he described the balance in user-driven R&D of introducing new ideas and features that exceed expectations, while meeting practical needs to make existing tools more usable. His perspective highlighted how industry statisticians blend technical expertise with collaboration and an understanding of user needs to make a meaningful impact.”
Reflecting on the day, Lekivetz said, “I really enjoyed visiting NC State as part of the SPES Marquardt program. It was a great opportunity to connect with students, share my experience working in industry, and show how it’s possible to stay engaged in research while pursuing a career outside of academia.”
Departments interested in hosting a Marquardt Memorial Industrial Speaker should check funding availability and begin planning by contacting Industrial Speakers Program Chair HaiYing Wang. Experienced industrial statisticians who would like to join the program’s roster of speakers are encouraged to reach out, as well. Talks that emphasize real-world applications, collaboration with nonstatisticians, and career advice for students are especially valuable.
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