As a part of the Iowa Summer Institute in Biostatistics, participants have selected their top choices among 8 research projects available to them. They were matched in groups of 3-4 and assigned to a faculty mentor with whom they conduct an extensive research. Their work and findings were presented at the 2025 Iowa Summer Research Symposium.

The 2025 participants’ presentations are listed below along with their comments about the program.

Lauren Luecke, Zachary Goldstein and William Marzen  

Presentation

Evaluating Barriers that Audiologists Perceive to Providing Care Under Medicaid (PDF format) 

Feedback

Zachary Goldstein: “ISIB was an incredible experience. Going into this summer, I knew very little about the application of most statistical concepts and did not know what I wanted to do after college. Now, I think I want to pursue a career in biostatistics thanks to ISIB and the incredible professors. From Professor Zamba’s teaching in the beginning to Dr. Oleson’s mentorship over my project and the incredible people I worked with on the project, I had such a wonderful time. This program really gave me a motivation to pursue graduate studies in biostatistics.”

Lauren Luecke: “I had a great time at ISIB and learned a lot. All the people I met here were amazing and I am really impressed by Iowa’s biostatistics program. This summer definitely solidified my interest in the field of biostatistics.”

William Marzen: “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at ISIB! Everything about the program was wonderful, from the professors to the lectures, to the projects, and to my fellow ISIB students! One of the most valuable aspects of the experience was the emphasis on exploring careers in biostatistics. I would strongly recommend this program to anyone who is considering statistics, data science, or biostatistics as a career!”

Connor Asmus, Ja’Moya Blue, Brock Olson and Maia Pietraho  

Presentation

Observing and Evaluating EDA as a Functional Predictor (PDF format)

Feedback

Connor Asmus: “I had a wonderful time at ISIB this summer.  My project mentor, professor Gideon Zamba, was informing, helpful, and greatly entertaining. I look forward to using the biostatistical tools that I’ve learned through this program at my home university and beyond.”

Ja’Moya Blue: “I had a great time this summer at ISIB. I’m glad that I took the risk and chose to participate in the program. I really enjoyed the hands-on experience and the research that we did in our groups as well as all the wonderful people I met.”

Brock Olson: “This program does a great job of providing a balanced mix of knowledge and experience related to biostatistics. All of the faculty involved want to see you succeed and made this a super impactful and exciting summer!”
Maia Pietraho: “I really enjoyed the structure of the program, beginning with an overview of introductory statistics and then applying what we learned to a real-world question. The research component was wonderful; I had a lot of fun problem solving and I liked that it felt like I was making an impact. It also helped me really learn the content when I was applying it to the project.”

Sia Gbondo-Tugbawa, Jacob Gerber, Owen Gould and Lauren Walker 

Presentation

How Blood Flow Forces Trigger Cancer Cells to Spread (HTML format)

Feedback

Sia Gbondo-Tugbawa: “I really enjoyed my time in ISIB, the projects challenged me as it was the first time I really got to apply all the theoretical things I’ve learned to research.”

Owen Gould: “ISIB allowed me to re(learn) statistics from qualified faculty, explore the opportunities available to biostatisticians, and get hands-on research experience. They also provided plenty of opportunities to learn about life as a graduate student and to interact with professors and graduate students.”

Jacob Gerber: “My summer experience in the program has been amazing overall. It has been a lot of fun getting to meet a bunch of math majors (which I don’t see often in my home institution) while also learning more in the field of Biostats. The accommodations of rooming and also the money given for meals means there is essentially no financial stress. The program was a nice environment to learn more and get some research experience.”

Lauren Walker: “I absolutely loved my ISIB experience. I knew I was interested in biostatistics, and this summer, it really became solidified for me that I wanted to pursue a career in this field. I came out of this experience with genuine friendships and a much clearer vision of what graduate study and a career in biostatistics entails.”

Clara Fields, Esmeilyn Jimenez Tejada and Serena Shu   

Presentation

Mediation Analysis for Burnout Among Ukrainian Military Personnel (Abstract)

Feedback

Clara Fields: “Before coming to ISIB, I didn’t know much about what a career in biostatistics might look like. This program has been an amazing opportunity to learn more about the opportunities available in the field! I really enjoyed working with the faculty and graduate students and hearing about their experiences.”

Serena Shu: “My experience in ISIB helped me identify a direction in my love for working with data and gain invaluable peer and faculty connections. In particular, hearing the stories of guest and alumni speakers helped build my confidence in choosing Biostatistics for a career path. Moving forward, I plan to pursue an M.S. in Biostatistics, hopefully at the University of Iowa. ”

Esmeilyn Jimenez Tejada: “The ISIB program gave me a good direction in determining where I want to proceed when thinking about a career in mathematics. The experience had a good balance of fun as well as education.”

Anthony Hobson, Aiden Orth, Carina Scholten and Ryan Thoreson

Presentation

Deep Learning to Predict Enrollment at the University of Iowa (PDF format)

Feedback

Anthony Hobson: “The faculty at Iowa made a fantastic impression through their approachability and genuine investment in us as students. They were always open to conversation, ready to offer guidance on our personal goals, and to share insights about the field of biostatistics. Their support throughout the summer made the research experience all the more rewarding.”

Aiden Orth: “I greatly enjoyed my time here! The variety of lecture topics were interesting; I greatly enjoyed collaborating on my project: working with a wide variety of people and skills was very fulfilling.”

Carina Scholtens: “I have absolutely LOVED my experience doing ISIB! This program allows participants to experience the entirety of Biostatistics through the class, research projects and presenters who reflect on their experience in the field which has given me a lot of direction for my future. Everyone has been so hospitable and I’m excited to pursue a graduate degree in Biostatistics! I loved my cohort and our adventures in Iowa City and beyond! ”

Ryan Thoreson: “I thoroughly enjoyed my summer experience in the ISIB program as it taught me not only a lot about general statistics, but also about the different ways I can apply those techniques to the medical field. I thought the lectures by different faculty from the program really allowed me to have a wide variety of research displayed which showed me many options within the field.”