About CSTAT

At CSTAT we are dedicated to help researchers thrive by collaborating on research projects and providing accessible and accurate guidance in study design and analysis.

The experience I gained as a part of CSTAT team has been truly transformative. Through collaborating with clients and colleagues, I developed my communication skills—learning how to explain complex statistical concepts in ways that are accessible to diverse audiences, which is essential for me to be a statistician. This has given me greater confidence in presenting technical insights and tailoring solutions to meet practical needs.

Working with real-world data at CSTAT also deepened my understanding of various statistical models beyond what I encountered in my coursework. I had the chance to apply methods I had only previously studied theoretically, allowing me to connect between my academic learning and practical application. Importantly, handling real-world data taught me how to navigate the challenges of imperfect datasets—something textbooks rarely prepare us for!

Thank you for fostering such a supportive and dynamic environment. The skills and knowledge I gained during my time with CSTAT continue to serve me in my current work, and I’m truly grateful for the experience.

Phuong Vo

My time at CSTAT was a life-changing experience. I was able to immerse myself in the world of statistics and realized how much I enjoy understanding behavioral patterns through numbers. Steve’s mentorship helped me build confidence, motivation, and dedication to pursue knowledge that otherwise may have been too overwhelming.

Shay Yao

I was lucky to be a research assistant at CSTAT during the summer of 2019. It was a great experience. I had the chance to work in an interdisciplinary environment allowing me to think about statistics across different research areas (fish breeding behavior, experiments in oak trees planting in Michigan, nutrition interventions in sports, health-related/biology experiments, surveys of depression, improving MRI scanning applications for children, studying the dynamics of Amazon forests). The statistical methods are also extensively used in business fields such as management and marketing, and I currently teach these techniques in a business statistics course at Ball State University. I was mentored by a great international team (my mentors were originally from China, Germany, India, Nigeria, US). I am especially grateful for the friendly and supportive environment. Thank you CSTAT Team!

Nikolay Ushakov

Words are not enough to describe my experience at CSTAT; working here enriched my PhD experience in no small measure. The consulting experience helped me appreciate the importance of rigorous research in various fields of knowledge. Working with clients from different fields of applied research helped me understand Statistics from multiple perspectives and built my confidence as a Statistician. I am eternally grateful for the great mentors and colleagues I had the privilege to work with at CSTAT. They held my hands, taught, nudged, and encouraged me until I could do the same for others. No classroom study could have afforded me such an enriching adventure! My experience at CSTAT would remain pleasantly unforgettable.

Hope Akaeze

Working at CSTAT was a great experience as is taught me to think about research methods and statistics from a variety of perspectives and gave me excellent practice at explaining various techniques to very different audiences. I have used those skills in teaching and giving workshops on various statistical and methodological approaches to undergraduate, graduate, and faculty audiences. I have also found the skills I acquired very useful when consulting in organizations and discussing results with managers and stakeholders.

Mike Braun

Of all the things I did while at Michigan State, CSTAT, without question, had the biggest influence on my professional and academic trajectories. The mentoring and the community offered at CSTAT helped me to gain confidence in my ability as an applied statistician, and to better understand my trade.

Michael Frisby

CSTAT has been an integral part of my PhD. training. It was a way of expanding my avenues with respect to the variety of applications I had the opportunity to solve different types of statistical problems in. It was a place where I was exposed to many perspectives of the way this subject is viewed and tweaks in methodology carefully employed to fit the application. I also became much less afraid of data analyses and truly learned the need for rigor in it. My resume stood out of the crowd due to CSTAT and I got a much broader view of statistics and its place in the sciences and social sciences alike.

Abdhi Sarkar

I really appreciate the analytical training that I received from CSTAT before the start of my career. Dr. Pierce is a great mentor to me and gave me great support in my career. CSTAT is a great organization in MSU. I am honored to be called one of it.

Emma Xue

I've assisted graduate students to develop their quantitative skills and advised them on the data analysis parts of their research. This advising experience is very helpful for graduate students who are planning academic careers where such experiences are valued highly. Finally, interacting with clients, understanding their expectations and collectively searching solutions for their research problems is a valuable experience by itself and it is an experience worth mentioning for jobs in industry.

Emre Gonulates