Skegee Spotlight: Dr. Leo Upchurch

July 30, 2018

After expecting to only spend two years at 糖心 following his faculty appointment in the fall of 1990, Dr. Leo Upchurch is nearing his 30th anniversary on the faculty of the Brimmer College of Business and Information Science. He credits his longevity to finding ways to communicate difficult subjects to young people and enabling them to see the beauty in the subject and what it can do.

As a testament to his contributions to the field, the American Statistical Association will recognize his efforts of reaching statistics students in a variety of disciplines this week at its JSM2018 conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Just the right fit

Upchurch came to the university to teach statistics, analytics, quantitative methods and some of the usual subjects students tend to dislike. He says his primary goal has always been to help students appreciate the power and usefulness of statistics.

鈥淚鈥檝e taken it all in stride and have no regrets for contributions I鈥檝e made to the program,鈥� Upchurch said. 鈥淗ad we not had a program set in place like the College of Business and Information Science, we would not be able to take credit for the countless students that have found their way in life.鈥�

The most rewarding part for Upchurch has been watching young people grow into aspiring, successful individuals.

鈥淚鈥檝e seen students catch fire and become incredible corporate professionals,鈥� he noted, explaining that it may take them beginning their careers to fully appreciate the benefit of classroom concepts. 鈥淚鈥檓 almost certain that within 10 to 15 years, they鈥檒l come back looking for me and give credit to our program.鈥�

Numbers don鈥檛 lie

Upchurch became interested in statistics after studying R.A. Fisher, a British statistician and geneticist, in college.

鈥淚t was the study of scientific racism during a course that made me aware of what I was being taught in the classroom,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淎nd based on statistics, which is a tool that science depends on to validate and demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of what is done, I refuted this claim.鈥�

Upchurch says at that moment, he was left looking for ways to undo what he was taught and find a better way to present the idea to others.

鈥淔or me, the world is a collection of random variables, and we learn how to extract insight from what appears to be randomness to other people, and those who learn how to operate amongst those variables will be successful,鈥� said Upchurch.

Upchurch says when students take his course, he wants them to remember that statistics is the science of knowing through data, and it鈥檚 the most important course they will ever have that will be applied to life.

Demonstrating accuracy

Upchurch says Brimmer College programs prepare students to be successful, and he wants them to always keep that in mind.

鈥淲e train them for the future. I explain to them that statisticians take the time to do what others often don鈥檛,鈥� he explained.

To learn more about Tuskegee鈥檚 Brimmer College of Business and Information Science, visit  /cbis