Ni Zhao’s career as a biostatistician followed a convoluted path. When she was a kid, her parents dreamed she would become a medical doctor. She partly had the same wish—she wanted to work toward improving human health and well-being. Yet, she was also fascinated by the beauty of mathematics and didn’t think there was a way to combine math and medicine until she discovered biostatistics. Now, as an assistant professor of biostatistics at The Johns Hopkins University, she collaborates with top-notch researchers and participates in frontline research.

More and more universities are starting master’s and doctoral programs in data science and analytics—of which statistics is foundational—due to the increasing interest from students and employers. Amstat News reached out to those in the statistical community who are involved in such programs to find out more about them. This month, we feature the University of Vermont, University of Michigan, University of Central Florida, and The Johns Hopkins University.