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NEWS RELEASE

10-18-02

Contacts:
Dean Isaacson, Statistics, (515) 294-3440
Dave Gieseke, Liberal Arts & Sciences, (515) 294-7742
Skip Derra, News Service, (515) 294-4917

ISU STATISTICS DEPARTMENT RECEIVES SPAIG AWARD

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University's department of statistics has been awarded the first Statistical Partnerships among Academe, Industry and Government (SPAIG) Committee Award from the American Statistical Association.

The SPAIG Award was given to Iowa State for its General Motors-Mayo Clinic partnership. The department offers a M.S. degree in statistics through distance learning to employees at General Motors Corp., Detroit, and the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

The partnership between General Motors and the statistics department began in 1996. The Mayo Clinic became a partner in 1997. Additional partnerships have been formed with 3M Co., St. Paul, Minn., and Wells Fargo & Co., San Francisco.

The SPAIG Award recognizes outstanding statistical partnerships among academe and business, industry, and government organizations. In addition to significant distance education and degree opportunities for General Motors and Mayo Clinic employees, the partnerships also provides consulting and research opportunities for Iowa State faculty.

The program improved statistical practice at General Motors and the Mayo Clinic and resulted in improvements in the Iowa State curriculum for training students in industry and biostatistical careers, according to Dean Isaacson, head of the statistics department.

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