Since Jason Wilson, chair of Biola University’s mathematics and computer science department, first came to Biola in 2008, he has seen a growing need for statistical services, both on-campus and in the greater La Mirada community. Local organizations and Biola students often reach out to him for his statistical expertise. Opening a new Quantitative Consulting Center (QCC) this Fall will serve a growing demand he hasn’t been able to sustain.

“When I first came to Biola in 2008, I was asked by faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates for help with various statistical questions,” said Wilson. “While I gave some help, I did not have nearly enough time to adequately meet the need.”

Wilson has provided consulting services in his own spare time and has also made national news for his statistical work in helping create a formula for Quality of Pitch (QOP), which evaluates the quality of a baseball pitch and has been employed by Major League Baseball journalists. The QCC, led by Wilson, will serve Biola students, staff, faculty and local companies and organizations while also providing a hands-on educational experience for students involved. 

“It provides professional statistical support that can alleviate faculty of the extra burden of having to research statistical details on their projects, reducing their research time while at the same time improving quality and increasing their confidence,” said Wilson. “On the flip side, it provides dynamic real-world learning opportunities for students.” 

Statistical consultation services are often used in many different fields such as marketing, medicine, or manufacturing and use research and statistics skills to solve a particular problem for a client. The center will also help those on campus with university-related research issues and provide statistical consulting experience to students looking to join the field of statistics. The QCC provides a unique and convenient means for Biola and its neighbors to receive necessary research and statistical assistance.

The QCC is served by a staff of three professors, all from different departments on campus — QCC Director Jason Wilson, chair of the mathematics and computer science department, David Bourgeois, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs at Crowell School of Business, and Jason Brunt, associate professor of psychology. The diversity of perspectives increases the strength of the center and widens the QCC’s reach both on campus and locally. 

Learn more about the Quantitative Consulting Center, or Biola's bachelor's in computer science today.

Written by Kiana Karn, Media Relations Assistant. For more information, contact Jenna Loumagne, manager of media relations, at (562) 777-4061 or jenna.loumagne@biola.edu.