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Clarke honored at CTSDMC’s 25th anniversary celebration

Published on November 14, 2014

The Clinical Trials Statistical Data Management Center (CTSDMC) in the Department of Biostatistics celebrated its 25th Anniversary on Oct. 28, 2014. The center’s first director, Robert “Skip” Woolson, gave a talk outlining the center’s founding in 1989. Many former employees and collaborators were in attendance. Christopher Coffey, the current CTSDMC director, presented the current state of the CTSDMC, highlighting the center’s participation in the NIH-funded Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT) and the Clinical Islet Transplantation Consortium, now in its tenth year.

The afternoon was devoted to honoring William Clarke, CTSDMC associate director (1989-2000) and director (2000-2010), for his outstanding leadership and service to the University of Iowa. College of Public Health Dean Sue Curry spoke of Clarke’s interdisciplinary contributions in the use of statistical methods in clinical trial design and analysis and in biomedical research. She also noted his long record of contribution to clinical trial methodology as well as classroom teaching and university service. She then unveiled the “William R. Clarke Conference Suite” in 2500 UCC. In addition, Joseph Cavanaugh, interim head of biostatistics,  spoke of Clarke’s contributions to teaching and research, and dedicated the Graduate Student Assistant Award in the Department of Biostatistics to Clarke for his 50+ years of service to biostatistics and the University of Iowa.

photo of Christopher Coffey, William Clarke, and Robert “Skip” Woolson
Past and present CTSDMC directors (from left) Christopher Coffey, William Clarke, and Robert “Skip” Woolson