B.S. Mathematics, U. of Texas 1971
M.S. Statistics, Oklahoma State U. 1975
Ph.D. Statistics, Oklahoma State U. 1977
As a Mathematical Statistician at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Caudill works on a wide range of laboratory and medical problems. For example, using laboratory data from tests conducted on more than 11,000 Americans for the 1976-1980 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, he and two of his colleagues at CDC developed statistical models describing the expected change in cholesterol during a person's lifetime. The accuracy of the models was then verified using actual results of long-term cholesterol monitoring on individuals in the Framingham heart study, which has been running since 1948. These models have had a great impact on the proper interpretation of serum cholesterol levels, and have enhanced the National Cholesterol Education Program recommendations on cholesterol-based coronary risk by providing an early warning to persons who are likely to be at high risk in the future. After the results of these models were published in two scientific journals, articles describing the use and interpretation of the cholesterol projections appeared in newspapers and magazines.
Dr. Caudill has also been involved in: (1) developing statistical models for estimating the half-life of the herbicide dioxin in Vietnam veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange; (2) developing statistical methods for evaluating laboratories which test human serum and urine specimens for illegal drugs; (3) developing exploratory statistical techniques for identifying contaminants which have produced adverse health effects in humans and for identifying potential genetic markers in parents of children with Down Syndrome; and (4) developing statistical quality control methods for monitoring laboratory instruments that simultaneously measure up to forty characteristics in one specimen.
Though he has an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Statistics, Dr. Caudill believes his B.S. in Mathematics has also proved to be an important link in his success at CDC. His undergraduate work in mathematics taught him that many natural processes can be described by simple mathematical equations (or models). Courses in computer programming have enabled him to write computer programs to simulate real world problems with mathematical models and then to compare model predictions with observed results. An undergraduate minor in physics, as well as courses in chemistry, exposed him to the scientific method and to many of the concepts and principles behind the laboratory and medical techniques used at CDC. Even the English and literature courses that were a part of his undergraduate degree requirements have played a significant part in his career, as he has authored or coauthored seventeen journal articles and five technical reports. He believes that communication skills are very important for an applied mathematician or statistician, for it is only by being able to relate effectively to and communicate with people in other disciplines that one can help them address and solve their problems. One doesn't have to be an expert in other fields, but one does need to be familiar with the ``language'' and terminology of other fields. One also has to be able to articulate one's mathematical and statistical knowledge in a way that doesn't intimidate others, and in a way that encourages dialogue.