Meet Statistics summer scholar Alexander Stuteley

Every summer, the Department of Statistics offers scholarships to a number of students so they can work with staff on real-world projects. Alexander, right, is exploring New Zealand mortality data with Senior Research Fellow Andrew Sporle. Alexander explains:

“The goal is to construct an online data visualiser that will enable the user to analyse and visualise complex population data by simply pointing and clicking from a selection of menus.  This involves collating health and population data and creating software that automatically does the complex statistical calculations based on the user’s selections, but in a way that ensures the confidentiality of the information. This project is part of a larger project on preventable Māori mortality funded by the Health Research Council.

“Our health infrastructure in New Zealand has some of the best and most comprehensive datasets available in the world and, it will be very useful to streamline the analysis process so that users without advanced statistical training can see and understand what is going on. In the longer term, this approach could also be applied to other health and social data, making data more accessible and useful.

“I have recently finished my undergraduate degree in science, majoring in statistics and computer science. I am looking to progress in medical statistics for my honours degree.

“Statistics appeals to me because I am passionate about figuring out ways to develop and enhance understanding between cause and effect, and use that to make improvements – whether small or large, intricate or structural – to whatever situation I find myself in.

“Over summer, I hope to fit in some travel, try to get to the beach, and go tramping; Great Barrier Island will be the first port of call.”