Meet our students

Law student and Summer Scholarship winner for Statistical Education Research

Every day we are confronted with statistics. Being able to understand and assess them is vital to help us fully understand the meaning behind statistics like political polls, newspaper articles or the latest health risk studies.

My studies and experience with the summer scholarship in statistics education have provided me with a deeper knowledge of how people think when confronted with statistical information. Now that I have a basic understanding of statistical concepts, this will aid me when dealing with complex facts and figures in any work or future study I undertake.

Bachelor of Science (Hons) and winner of the Senior Scholarship in Statistics and Annual Prize in Statistics

Kim Frew recently graduated and is now doing her Masters in the Engineering Science department. Kim has worked together with Ilze Ziedins, one of the lecturers in the Department of Statistics, in creating a simulation model to improve the efficiency of the cardio-vascular intensive-care unit at Auckland City Hospital. This model has been used to help determine the number of beds needed in the unit and to assist with the planning of surgery schedules and nursing rosters.

Hannah Kelly is a PhD student studying Forensic Statistics. Hannah is conducting her research from Environmental Science Research (ESR), where she is able to observe Forensic Scientists in their day-to-day work and has access to new machinery that is revolutionising Forensic Biology.

Hannah’ PhD supervisor is James Curran, an Associate Professor within the Department of Statistics, an internationally renowned forensic statistician and the co-director of the New Zealand Bioinformatics Institute at the University of Auckland. James has testified as an expert witness in forensic cases in the United States and Australia and is the author of more than 70 scientific articles on statistical evaluation of forensic evidence. He is also a Senior Consulting Forensic Scientist to the United Kingdom Forensic Science Service (FSS) where he has worked since 2001 with the development team for the FSS-i^3 software suite for DNA analysis.

What do you enjoy about statistics?

The courses are structured in a logical manner and use real-world, relevant examples. The lecturers are friendly, approachable and always willing to give students advice.

Do you think there is something about your personality that suits you to statistics? What is that, and why?

I am very analytical and enjoy interpreting quantitative data to give it meaning in a practical sense. Statistics is all about analysing and interpreting data, which suits my logical, analytical way of thinking and processing.

What courses did you take at university, and why?

I primarily took the practical/applied statistics papers (rather than theory) as I enjoy analysing real-world data and trying to understand what it means from a practical point of view. Also, the applied statistics papers were very relevant and helped deepen my understanding of my marketing papers.

Why did you decide to include statistics in your degree?

I included statistics because it is a subject that applies to so many different areas, particularly for me in marketing research papers. Statistics also helps you develop strong analytical skills, which are crucial in today's job market.

How has The University of Auckland prepare you for the working world?

The University of Auckland has helped prepare me for the working world by giving me a wide range of transferable skills, such as communication, teamwork, leadership and analytical skills, all of which are sought out by employers. The University also helped me develop an outstanding C.V. and prepare for job interviews.

How did the Department of Statistics prepare you for a career using statistics?

The Statistics Department offers papers such as Stats 301, which teach you how to use advanced computer programs e.g. SAS, which is used by numerous potential employers. The labs also help prepare you for a career using statistics as they give you the opportunity to analyse and interpret real-world data using statistics programs.

Can you pick three things you most enjoyed about being at university?

(1) Making new friends with similar interests and goals
(2) Personal satisfaction after completing a difficult assignment or test
(3) Tutoring other students in Statistics, helping them develop their analytical and problem-solving skills through assignments and study.

Why is statistics a useful subject to have when you are looking for a job?

Statistics is extremely valuable on your C.V, as many employers seek graduates with exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, which a Statistics major from the University of Auckland provides you with. Most employers also want graduates who are comfortable with quantitative data and dealing with numbers on a day-to-day basis.

What are you most proud of to date in your career?

Getting a graduate position at PWC has been the highlight of my career as it is a company with an outstanding reputation and the position as consultant allows me to apply my diverse range of skills.

If secondary school students asked you what personal and academic attributes it takes to succeed in study like yours, what would you tell them?

In order to succeed in a conjoint BCom/BSc you need to be hard-working and conscientious, but most importantly you need to be eager to learn and willing to seek out help and accept challenges when required.

After completing a summer internship in Forensic DNA fingerprinting I changed my major from Biological Sciences to Statistics, with an emphasis on Statistical Computing and Forensic Statistics.

I found the courses on offer in the Statistics department to be of a very high standard. The excellent resources provided, and the way the courses were organised and assessed suited my style of learning. I enjoyed the personal approach the lecturers took, and receiving regular one-on-one contact, and personal feedback on my progress was of great benefit.

Statistics are everywhere and what I’ve learnt can be applied to almost any field, which opens up my employment options significantly. Gaining a qualification from the top ranked university in New Zealand means your degree is of real value and gives you the edge over those who have studied elsewhere.

Our vast and complex universe holds endless potential for research– but unfortunately we can’t capture Supernovae or Black Holes and study them in a science lab! We need to find other ways to gather and interpret information.

One of our approaches is using Bayesian methods for statistical analysis. Many NASA scientists use this method in their research, and we’ve found it powerful in reaching conclusions on very complex astrophysical problems.

Each playing position in netball creates its own special demands– but are there positions that require a similar set of skills?

I’m using Cluster Analysis to identify differences in how players meet the demands of their position. I can then create player “types” according to shared strengths, weaknesses and strategy preferences.
It’s all part of working out the best combination of players for strategy and planning.

Is there a difference between the health risks for European, Māori and Pacific people living in New Zealand?
My study revealed that the length of residence for immigrants related directly to socio-economic and cardiovascular risk status.

Newer immigrants on average had lower socio-economic status and more adverse CV risk factors. The challenge now is how to lower those risks.

For more than 2000 years, Kauri trees have shared age-old secrets through their ring sequences. Changes in the widths of the annual rings are used to study the El Nino-Southern Oscillation.

But is the information we have gathered correct? Do large and small Kauri respond the same way to climate? I’m using bootstrapping methods to compare the ring sequences of trees to find out.

Commuting affects thousands of Kiwis daily and everyone has the same goal – to get to their destination the quickest way possible. So what’s best – choosing a route that’s quickest for the individual, or choosing a route that minimises the overall delay for everyone? What would you do?
– Heti Afimemounga (right)

Queueing is never fun – and sometimes it is difficult to make the right decision to minimise it! I’m working
on algorithms of finding the best decision for users in various queueing situations – but particularly when travelling.
– Lisa Chen (left)