Longtime ASA member, Fellow, and Founder Robert Starbuck passed away on September 11, 2026, at the age of 77.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Starbuck grew up in Hillsboro, where he worked in his father’s furniture store before attending Miami University of Ohio.
Starbuck started out as a mathematics major at Miami but became aware of statistics as a career as an undergraduate. While he wanted to work in industry, he was unsure how he could use a mathematics degree to get there. Statistics, he would later write, “seemed ‘real world’ to me.”
His mentor at Miami, Donald Weber, encouraged him to apply for the National Defense Education Act Fellowship, which Starbuck received. The fellowship covered tuition and fees and provided a monthly stipend while he pursued graduate study. He went on to earn his master’s and PhD degrees in statistics from North Carolina State University.
Starbuck’s first job was working in the environmental branch of Northeast Utilities Service Company as the only statistician. He enjoyed the work, but as the only statistician in the group, he found the isolation difficult. He subsequently joined the US Department of Agriculture, where he had the opportunity to work alongside other statisticians.
His career took another turn when he ran into Walt Cummings at an ASA meeting, who, at the time, was looking to fill a position in his group at Burroughs Wellcome Company, a pharmaceutical firm in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Starbuck joined the company and began building the expertise in clinical trials that would shape much of his career. He gained experience supervising statisticians, designing clinical trials, and analyzing and reporting clinical trial data.
After Burroughs Wellcome, Starbuck moved to Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis in Ann Arbor Michigan before joining Wyeth Research in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. He retired from Wyeth in 2008 after 32 years in the pharmaceutical industry, having most recently served as assistant vice president of clinical development, special projects. During his career at Wyeth, he also headed biostatistics, clinical data management, forms design, and field monitoring functions.
Starbuck remained deeply involved with the American Statistical Association throughout his career. A member for more than 50 years, Starbuck took on leadership roles in the Biopharmaceutical Section and was chair of the Deming Lectureship Committee. He also chaired the Committee on Fellows and the Committee on Nominations and served on several ASA presidents’ task forces.
In 2011, Starbuck received the ASA Founders Award, the association’s highest honor for volunteer service. He was also elected an ASA Fellow and served as chair of the Committee on Fellows, including regularly reporting on the Fellows process to ASA members.
After retiring, Starbuck continued to contribute to the profession as an educator. He presented seminars on the use of statistics in clinical trials at universities throughout the US and taught courses on presentation skills for statisticians at ASA meetings and elsewhere. He was particularly interested in helping statisticians communicate their work effectively. He also remained committed to academia, mentoring students, and serving on the NC State College of Sciences Board.
That interest in professional development was also evident in the advice he offered to students and early-career statisticians. He encouraged students to take advantage of opportunities to teach and practice presenting, learn by watching others, and seek out mentors and professional connections. He was a strong advocate for professional societies, noting that they provide opportunities to learn from others, develop leadership skills, expand professional networks and become involved in meaningful work. His commitment to mentoring and supporting students extended beyond his professional work, and he was recognized by NC State with its Distinguished Alumnus Award and Zenith Medal for Service.
Throughout his career and retirement, Starbuck demonstrated his willingness to give his time and expertise to the statistics profession and the people within it. He was known for his generous nature, service to the communities around him, and sense of humor. In reflecting on his years of ASA involvement, he wrote that the rewards had been many, “including making many lifelong friends along the way.”
Read Starbuck’s obituary on Legacy.com.
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