UA’s Leeper Honored for Statistical Contributions to Medicine, Public Health

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. James Leeper, a professor in the department of community and rural medicine at The University of Alabama’s College of Community Health Sciences, has been selected as a Fellow of the American Statistical Association.

Leeper was recognized for “continuous contributions of statistical knowledge to the medical and public health research communities; for outstanding mentorship and teaching of medical, other health sciences, and graduate students; and for service to the statistics profession through exceptional leadership as an applied statistician in public health and medicine.”

A ceremony to honor Leeper will be held Aug. 11 in Seattle during the ASA annual meeting.

“It is a real honor to be recognized by one’s peers and professional organization,” said Dr. Richard Streiffer, dean of the College.

Leeper teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on biostatistics and serves on numerous thesis and dissertation committees. He directs the College’s master’s degree program in rural community health and is the director of education and evaluation for the College’s rural programs.

He is also a charter senior investigator in the College’s Institute for Rural Health Research.

Leeper received The University of Alabama National Alumni Association’s prestigious Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award in 1995 and the 2003 Outstanding Alumni Award from the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa. He is a member of the National Rural Health Association Rural Medical Educators Group, which is influential in the development of rural medical education policy and programming.

He has served on a variety of boards and in chair positions for the ASA and the American Public Health Association. He has published more than 90 refereed articles, co-authored four book chapters, and co-authored more than 100 paper presentations and posters.

Much of his work deals with rural health issues, including community-based program evaluation as well as with statistical methodology, including missing data problems in the longitudinal analysis and spatial/temporal analysis.

Leeper earned his doctorate in biostatistics at the University of Iowa. Upon graduation, he joined the College, and, from 1987 through 2001, he was chair of the department of community and rural medicine.

The American Statistical Association is the world’s largest community of statisticians and supports excellence in the development, application and dissemination of statistical science through meetings, publications, membership services, education, accreditation and advocacy. Members serve in academia, industry and government in more than 90 countries and work to advance research and promote sound statistical practice to inform public policy and improve human welfare.