P.Mean >> Category >> Professional details (created 2007-05-29).

This category includes pages explaining new developments in my professional career. Also see Category: Website details.

2011

56. P.Mean: Possible webcast topics for a new client (created 2011-11-14). I was asked to develop a list of webcast topics for a client working in the pharmaceutical industry. They are listed roughly in priority order for the first half. I have some handouts already for some of these classes and I have included links to those handouts when possible. These handouts would be updated, of course and I do want to target specific medical applications for this client, though, so I might swap out the some of the examples used in the small group exercises. Still, they give a rough idea of topic coverage.

55. P.Mean: Software that I use on my computers (created 2011-06-21). I thought it might be useful to list the software programs that I use on my various laptop computers. That way I can check to see if I have installed the programs that I used to use on my earlier laptop onto my new laptop. I also want to check (when the software license allows it) that I have installed a second copy of this software on my small laptop. This is one of those pages that is probably more useful to me than it is to you.

54. P.Mean: It's been a quiet year (created 2011-06-01). I was asked by my boss to document my scholarly activities for the past year. I used July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011 as the time frame (I don't anticipate a lot happening in the next 30 days). Here's what I wrote.

53. P.Mean: Yet another biography (created 2011-05-16). I'm asked often to provide a short biography that can be used as an introduction to a talk I am giving. It helps to keep track of these on my website. I have versions written in 2009, 2008, 2004, and 2002. Here's the latest biography.

52. P.Mean: Thinking about the title for my second book (created 2011-04-11). As I mentioned on an earlier webpage, Cambridge University Press has agreed to publish my second book. There were some suggestions, including a change in the proposed title to "Successful Research Projects: A Practical Guide for the Health and Social Sciences." I was not thrilled with this title and I was appreciative when my contact at Cambridge described that title as bland.

51. P.Mean: Good news about my second book proposal (created 2011-01-01). I got an email three days ago from my contact at Cambridge University Press. It looks like they want to publish my book!

2010

50. P.Mean: Location of my UMKC office (created 2010-12-09). I work part-time as an independent statistical consultant and part time at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). If you need to meet with me for UMKC related work, here is how to get to my office.

49. P.Mean: My new twitter account (created 2010-09-15). I started a new twitter account, mostly to follow the twitter feed of the Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics at UMKC. I work in that department part-time. I may use my twitter account to announce new updates to my website. My twitter feed is @profmean.

48. P.Mean: Competing books to the book I am planning to write (created 2010-08-16). I have been asked by several publishers to list competing books to the book I am planning to write. My book is quite different than anything else out there, but perhaps the closest competition would be books that talk about research methods. Here are some possible competitors in that area.

47. P.Mean: Glossary for my second book (created 2010-08-11). As I mentioned in an earlier webpage, I am talking to some publishers about writing a second book. Here's a tentative glossary for that book. I'm only including the terms in the glossary for now, but will eventually add definitions.

46. P.Mean: Standard operating procedures for a statistical consulting center (created 2010-07-30). I asked a question on one of the American Statistical Association message boards about how I setting up a consulting service at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), where I work part-time. I wanted to develop some SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for this center that would supplement the guidance already available on the web. I asked if anyone else had SOPs (or anything similar) that I could look at so I wouldn't re-invent the wheel. I got a lot of responses.

45. P.Mean: Sample chapter: The first three steps in selecting an appropriate sample size (created 2010-07-24). As I mentioned in an earlier webpage, I am talking to some publishers about writing a second book. The working title is "Jumpstart Statistics: How to Restart Your Stalled Research Project." Here's a tentative chapter from that book. It is not quite complete yet, but I'm hoping to finish it soon. One of your most critical choices in designing a research study is selecting an appropriate sample size. A sample size that is either too small or too large will be wasteful of resources and will raise ethical concerns.

44. P.Mean: Tentative table of contents for my second book (created 2010-07-24). As I mentioned in an earlier webpage, I am talking to some publishers about writing a second book. The working title is "Jumpstart Statistics: How to Restart Your Stalled Research Project." Here's a tentative table of contents.

43. P.Mean: Jumpstart Statistics, a proposal for my second book (created 2010-07-23). I want to talk to some publishers about writing a second book. Here is what I will propose to them.

42. P.Mean: Salary survey for Biostatisticians (created 2010-07-21). I am working part-time at UMKC in the Department of Informatic Medicine and Personalized Health. They like me and want me to increase my hours from 10 hours a week (25% time) to something more. I'll talk to them about this, but at the same time, I want to point out that my salary is not competitive with my peers. Here's a table from a recent survey on salaries, published in the Amstat News.

41. P.Mean: What is the premier conference for statistical consulting (created 2010-05-28). Someone asked what the premier conference for statistical consulting. That's a rather ambiguous question, because different people will interpret terms like "premier conference" and "statistical consulting" differently. The answer, however, is pretty unambiguous. In North America, it would have to be the Joint Statistics Meetings (JSM).

40. P.Mean: How I got started in my career as an independent statistical consultant (created 2010-05-24). LinkedIn has a question and answer board, and one of the questions inspired me to write up the story of how I got started in my career as an independent statistical consultant. Here's the original question: I'm very curious as to what events or conversations enabled you to change direction in your career. What thought process did you go through? What resources did you use or uncover?

39. P.Mean: My life so far: fails to meet expectations (created 2010-04-21). I'm learning how to use LinkedIn, and there are some people on that site who ask general philosophical questions. Some are a bit silly but they are still fun to answer. One person asked people to apply the traditional performance evaluation categories (Exceeds expectations, Meets expectations, Fails to meet expectations) to their own lives. So here is what I wrote.

38. P.Mean: Fan page for The Monthly Mean (created 2010-02-11). I've been getting some advice about Facebook. One suggestion was to set up a "fan page". There are some differences between being a "friend" on Facebook and being a "fan".

37. P.Mean: Facebook account (created 2010-01-25). Several people have been encouraging me to set up an account on Facebook. I did it this evening and two hours later, I had two friends.

36. P.Mean: Abstracts for a possible upcoming talk (created 2010-01-20). I might be asked to give a talk in February and I wanted to offer two possible choices. Here are the titles and abstracts of those talks.

2009

35. P.Mean: Jump start statistics for beginning researchers (created 2009-11-07). I am a part-time faculty at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, one of four schools in the University of Missouri system. I responded recently to an email sent to all faculty asking for suggestions about eLearning and distance education. Here was my proposal.

34. P.Mean: New Bioinformatics degree program at UMKC (created 2009-11-03). I am working part-time in the Department of Informatic Medicine and Personalized Health in the School of Medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. This department has just developed a website advertising the program. Here are a few key links.

33. P.Mean: Tentative training schedule (created 2009-08-31). I've been asked to develop a series of training classes. Here's a first draft.

32. P.Mean: Short biography (created 2009-03-30). At irregular intervals, I am asked to provide a brief biography of myself. Here is the latest version, along with links to earlier version. I usually put this up on my website, not out of vanity, but rather so that I would remember all the nice things that I am supposed to say about myself. If you need material to introduce me as a speaker, to help write a grant, or to get a better appreciation of who I am and what I do, please feel free to read and use any of this material.

31. P.Mean: Two business contacts (created 2009-03-30). I got a phone call today from someone applying for a very high level job at Children's Mercy Hospital (CMH). I no longer work at CMH, but this person wanted to see what I knew about this position, the person making the hiring decision, the management climate at CMH, etc. I couldn't offer too much advice as this position was quite different from the areas I worked in, but I did try to help as best I could. During the discussion, this person mentioned two business contacts that I might want to follow up with to help build my consulting customer base.

30. P.Mean: Acknowledging the contributions of a statistician (created 2009-02-16). A while back you assisted me with stats on my paper. I am finally ready to submit and wanted to know how I should appropriately acknowledge you for your participation since you are no longer at Children's Mercy Hospital.

2008

29. P.Mean: Teaching classes for a fee (created 2008-11-03). I was asked by someone at Children's Mercy Hospital how much it would cost to continue teaching the short courses that I have offered. Since I will also make those courses available to anyone else, I thought I'd share my general comments about fees and logistics here.

28. The Monthly Mean: Can I ask you a question? (November 2008) and P.Mean: Can I ask you a question? (created 2008-09-25). For several years now, I have enjoyed reading your webpage and have recently purchased your text- thank for your efforts in helping those of us attempting to learn biostatistics. I�ve been struggling with a design/analysis question related to repeated measures design and power analysis. I�m not sure if you are currently accepting questions of this nature, and thought I would check to see if this would be OK. I certainly understand if this is something that you would rather not involve yourself with.

27. P.Mean: Multiple email accounts (created 2008-09-09). I have created several email accounts to help separate my personal life from my professional life and my new career as an independent statistical consultant from my old career at Children's Mercy Hospital. You can use any of these email accounts, and I will answer, of course. I will be a bit more efficient, though, if you target the correct email address.

26. P.Mean: Social networking as a business tool (created 2008-08-19). The New York Times had an interesting article about using social networking tools for professional goals: The Social Network as a Career Safety Net, Sarah Jane Tribble, August 13, 2008. This is a fairly basic article, which was good for me because I have ignored social networking sites until recently.

25. P.Mean: Resources from the Statistical Consulting Section of the American Statistical Association (created 2008-08-02). I've talked with a lawyer about setting up an independent statistical consulting practice and he had several valuable suggestions. One of the more obvious ones, but one that I had not considered was to check out resources available through your professional society. The American Statistical Association has a Statistical Consulting Section, and this section provides quite a few resources. Here's a brief summary of some of the ones that I found helpful.

24. P.Mean: Business aspects of an independent statistical consultant (created 2008-07-28). I'm learning quite a bit about the business issues associated with a new career as an independent statistical consultant. Here are some of the issues I've had to confront. My apologies to the many readers of this website from other countries, but these issues are mostly specific to the United States.

23. P.Mean: Mail and calendar software I use in my new job (created 2008-07-23). When I was working for Children's Mercy Hospital, it made sense to use Microsoft Outlook for my email and calendaring system. Working, independently, however, I have more choices (more degrees of freedom, perhaps).

22. P.Mean: Hire me as a consultant (created 2008-07-15). Starting on July 15, 2008, I am available for statistical consulting. I have a PhD in Statistics, thirty years of experience, and many satisfied customers. In the past, I have undertaken independent consulting assignments using my evenings and weekends, but there was not enough time in the week to handle this and keep up with my five year old boy. I am taking an unpaid leave of absence from work in order to devote full time to develop a career as an independent consultant.

Outside resources:

Going Rates for Statistical Consulting: Results from the Statistical Consulting Section Rates Survey Results. Karen Copeland, Timothy A. Max, and Susan Devlin, published in the Spring 2006 (Volume 23 Number 1) issue of the Statistical Consultant. Description: This newsletter includes a salary survey for consulting rates. They noted that "the median hourly rate charged for external clients is $130 with an inter quartile range of $89 - $189" and "Ph.D.'s charge on average $44 more per hour than those with a Master's degree across all types of tasks." www.amstat.org/sections/cnsl/newsletter/pdf_archive/vol23no1.pdf

Larry Goldbetter, Susan E. Davis, Paul J. MacArthur. Have You Received an E-Book Contract Amendment? | NWU - National Writers Union. Excerpt: "Writers across the country are receiving letters from HarperCollins, Random House, and other publishers asking them to sign e-book amendments to their book contracts. When reviewing an e-book amendment, there are several things you should consider." [Accessed July 7, 2010]. Available at: https://nwu.org/have-you-received-e-book-contract-amendment%3F.

David L DeMets, Thomas R Fleming, Frank Rockhold, et al. Liability issues for data monitoring committee members. Clinical Trials, 2004:525 -531 vol. 1: Abstract: "In randomized clinical trials, a data monitoring committee (DMC) is often appointed to review interim data to determine whether there is early convincing evidence of intervention benefit, lack of benefit or harm to study participants. Because DMCs bear serious responsibility for participant safety, their members may be legally liable for their actions. Despite more than three decades of experiences with DMCs, the issues of liability and indemnification have yet to receive appropriate attention from either government or industry sponsors. In industry-sponsored trials, DMC members are usually asked to sign an agreement delineating their responsibilities and operating procedures. While these agreements may include language on indemnification, such language sometimes protects only the sponsor rather than the DMC members. In government-sponsored trials, there has been even less structure, since typically there are no signed agreements regarding DMC activities. This paper discusses these issues and suggests sample language for indemnification agreements to protect DMC members. This type of language should be included in DMC charters and in all consulting agreements signed by DMC members." [Accessed July 6, 2010]. Available at: http://ctj.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/1/6/525.

Lightning - Project Home. Description: This is the software I currently use for my calendar. It is an add-on for Thunderbird based on a stand-alone program, Sunbird. www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/lightning/

National Association for the Self-Employed. Excerpt: The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation's leading resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses providing a broad range of benefits and support to help the smallest businesses succeed. www.nase.org

Holland K. Smoothing the Way to Self-Employment. The New York Times. 2009. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/jobs/22mgmt.html [Accessed February 26, 2009].

Statistics Without Borders. Home - Statistics Without Borders. Excerpt: "Statistics Without Borders (SWB) is an apolitical organization under the auspices of the American Statistical Association, comprised entirely of volunteers, that provides pro bono statistical consulting and assistance to organizations and government agencies in support of these organizations' not-for-profit efforts to deal with international health issues (broadly defined). Our vision is to achieve better statistical practice, including statistical analysis and design of experiments and surveys, so that international health projects and initiatives are delivered more effectively and efficiently." [Accessed July 7, 2010]. Available at: http://community.amstat.org/AMSTAT/StatisticsWithoutBorders/Home/Default.aspx.

Thunderbird - Reclaim your inbox. Description: This is the software I currently use for email. It has a clean and simple interface and can easily integrate multiple email accounts. www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/

Creative Commons License All of the material above this paragraph is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License. This page was written by Steve Simon and was last modified on 2017-06-15. The material below this paragraph links to my old website, StATS. Although I wrote all of the material listed below, my ex-employer, Children's Mercy Hospital, has claimed copyright ownership of this material. The brief excerpts shown here are included under the fair use provisions of U.S. Copyright laws.

2008

21. Stats: Why it's impossible to keep a resume current (June 5, 2008). I'm updating my resume and found an amusing coincidence. It serves as a cautionary statement to never make assumptions.

20. Stats: A short biography that can be used as an introduction (May 9, 2008). I'm giving a talk today, and I was asked to provide some material that could be used to introduce me.

19. Stats: Directions to my new office (April 25, 2008). I have moved to a new office. It is a modular building just north of Children's Mercy Hospital. It is between 23rd and 22nd street, just off of Kenwood Avenue (Kenwood is a small north/south street just west of Holmes). If you need to get from your office to mine, here are some directions written by my Administrative Assistant, Judy Champion.

18. Stats: Nomination for the Kreamer Award for Research Excellence (April 24, 2008). Every year, Children's Mercy Hospital offers the Kreamer Award for Research Excellence. I plan to apply this year. I wanted to outline the requirements for the award and offer an overview of why I would be a good candidate for this award.

2007

17. Stats: No longer the sole statistician? (November 28, 2007). Children's Mercy Hospital is hiring a second statistician. Hooray! It's a great place to work and I'm hoping we can hire someone quickly.

16. Stats: Help for Statistics at UMKC and KUMC (October 1, 2007). I get lots of questions about where to go for help with Statistics for someone outside of Children's Mercy Hospital. If you are a student or work at the University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC) or at Kansas University Medical Center (KUMC), there are a lot of resources you can investigate.

15. Stats: The latest word on my promotion (September 27, 2007). In previous weblog entries, I discussed the process that I was following to get a promotion from Associate Professor to Full Professor. Here are the most recent developments.

14. Stats: My promotion application (September 5, 2007). In previous weblog entries (see below), I discussed the process for applying for a promotion to Full Professor. Yesterday, I turned in a completed a promotion application. I printed PDFs of the application in six separate files and am including them here to offer additional information for the external scholars who will be evaluating me.

13. Stats: Extra information for the resume of Stephen D. Simon (September 4, 2007). This supplement includes information that is incomplete and less important. In many cases, I have lost the ability to track all relevant entries because I have worked with some many different researchers.

12. Stats: External scholars needed to review my promotion materials (August 31, 2007). Although I do all my work at Children's Mercy Hospital, I have a joint appointment as Associate Professor in the School of Medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In a previous weblog entry, I described the process that I would have to follow to get a promotion from Associate Professor to Full Professor. One of the more difficult things that the promotion committee is asking for is five external scholars who would review my portfolio. Here's a description of the process from the UMKC promotion materials.

11. Stats: Conflict of interest list (July 18, 2007). I was asked to fill out a conflict of interest form for a talk I will be giving in December. While I have not gotten any money directly from drug companies recently, I do have some financial support outside the hospital that might be considered a conflict of interest in some contexts. These sources of support do not relate directly or indirectly to the topic I will be discussing in December (or any of the topics that I plan to discuss), but it it better to disclose too much rather than too little. I will try to update this page as new sources of support appear.

10. Stats: I deserve a promotion (June 22, 2007). I have a joint appointment as an associate professor with the School of Medicine at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. I am looking to produce the paperwork to ask for a promotion to full professor. I thought that some of the material that I produce in this process might be interesting to others. Perhaps not, but storage space on the web is cheap. It will also allow me to organize my thoughts better and interact more efficiently with others who will be helping me in this process.

2006

9. Stats: You won't have Steve Simon to kick around anymore (May 24, 2006). The results of the election of officers for the American Statistical Association came out today, and sad to say, I came in second in a two person race. I was running for Vice Chair of District 4, Region 2, of the Council of Chapters. The winner, Kathy Morrisey from Strategy 2 Market, Inc., had very good credentials, so I don't feel too bad about this.

8. Stats: Where to go, where to go (January 11, 2006). There are several interesting research conferences this year, and I have to decide quickly which one(s) to attend.

2005

7. Stats: Vote for me (December 21, 2005). I am running for an elected office, the Vice-Chair of District 4, Region 2, of the Council of Chapters for the American Statistical Association. I could make some jokes about this, but in all honesty, it is flattering to be nominated for this position.

6.

Stats: Contacting and working with me (August 15, 2005). If you would like to meet with me, send me an email or call me 816-234-3963. You can also talk to Judy Champion (816-983-6784) or Vicki Parker (816-234-3961) who both have the ability to check my schedule and make appointments.

2004

5. Stats: Brief Biography for Steve Simon (January 14, 2004). Steve Simon earned a Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Iowa in 1982. He currently works as a research biostatistician at Childrens Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, MO.

2003

4. Stats: For CMH employees only: Consulting services that I provide (April 30, 2003). You can get free statistical consulting if you work for Children's Mercy Hospital. I provide a wide range of statistical consulting services to help you with your research projects. This help can start as early as the initial planning of your research. I also help with the analysis of your data, using SPSS or other statistical software. I can also provide assistance with the preparation of your presentations and publications.

2002

3. Stats: Biography for Steve Simon (January 16, 2002). Steve Simon earned a PhD in Statistics from the University of Iowa in 1982. His training emphasized applied statistics and he served for two years as the student head of the University Statistical Consulting Service.

2000

2. Stats: Resume for Steve Simon (December 26, 2000). Notice to headhunters: I am not looking for a job. I am posting this resume to help with my collaborative efforts with others outside Children's Mercy Hospital.

1. Stats: Information about Steve Simon (January 28, 2000). Here are all the details on how you can contact me: address, phone, fax, and email. I prefer email.

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