Service (Unclassified)

Beverly Grunden, statistical consultant in the Statistical Consulting Center

Beverly Grunden has served Wright State as a statistical scientist and consultant in the Statistical Consulting Center (SCC) since completing her master’s degree in applied statistics at Wright State in 2001. She has distinguished herself in every aspect of her work.

Grunden has worked on some of the university’s largest and most far-reaching projects for the College of Nursing and Health, the Office of Institutional Research, the Office of Internal Controls and Audit, and the Center for Urban and Public Affairs (CUPA).

In the mid-2000s, CUPA was selected to conduct a job vacancy study in cooperation with the University of Dayton. Grunden identified the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ methodology to ensure CUPA’s study would bear meaningful and reliable results. It meant late nights of studying complex manuals, learning new procedures, and making many calculations. “The report has had more exposure than any analysis CUPA has done to date,” said Jane Dockery, associate director of CUPA.

While tackling complex projects, Grunden is always pleasant, courteous, and attentive to clients. “Her communication skills and ability to explain complex statistical concepts are superb; this might be expected, given her extensive teaching background,” said Harry. J. Khamis, Ph.D., SCC director and professor of mathematics and statistics and community health.

Besides her professional work, Grunden has generously contributed her time, energy, and ideas to community service activities aimed at encouraging young people to pursue education in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine.

Grunden’s ability to apply rigorous statistical methods to practical, local, and state studies advances the university’s reputation. “The university’s public credibility is at stake in every project that crosses her desk. Because she knows this, each project receives her consistent level of effort and expertise,” Dockery said.