Joseph Consiglio, MA, PhD

Wanting to learn more about how to employ mathematical tools to address practical issues, he chose to pursue a master’s in biostatistics. And as a Buffalo native, he wanted to stay close to home to do so. He scheduled a visit to UB’s biostatistics department and later met members of the faculty, attended a lecture and spoke with a graduate student.

“I was pleased with the department’s record of job placements post-graduation, and the sense of cooperation among students was emphatically preferable to the competitive environment I’d heard about in other graduate institutions,” he said.

Consiglio was also impressed with the generous assistantships he was offered which covered his tuition and provided a stipend.

At the end of his first year in the master’s program, he decided to also pursue a PhD. Now as a graduate of that program, Consiglio said one of his favorite aspects was the learning environment created by his classmates.

“It’s always nice to learn new things and improve myself, but I would say the biggest privilege of being in the PhD program involves my fellow students,” he said. “It’s been an honor to work alongside these people, and the caliber of students in the program continues to impress me. I very much appreciate people who have not only strong minds, but the willingness to convey what they know, and the determination to pursue what they do not yet grasp.”

The two common paths are industry and academia, Consiglio said. “Concerning industry, my thought is that the best practical training would be experience in the analysis of data toward specific lines of questioning. I’ve had the opportunity to analyze several databases through UB’s collaboration with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and subsequently through a research assistantship at Erie County Medical Center. Through this latter position, I also have had occasion to present statistical talks to medical students.”