Simcha Z. Pollack, Ph.D.

Dr. Simcha Pollack is a 1970 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brooklyn College of the City University of New York. He went on to receive his Ph.D. in Applied Statistics and Operations Research from New York University in 1974 as a National Science Foundation Fellow. He continued his post-doctoral research into statistical models of perception at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey.

Dr. Pollack is best known for his work in applied statistics. He is a professor at St. John's University where he began teaching in 1979. Since then he has published over 200 papers in scholarly journals and has participated in over 390 scientific presentations in the United States and abroad.

Dr. Pollack is primarily interested in the application of statistics to issues affecting health care. He maintains a consulting practice, sits on committees of the American Statistical Association and is a statistical editor of several journals. His volunteer work for the Land Mines Research Project through the Statistical Model Review Committee contributed to the UN's decision to severely restrict land mine use. Other pro bono statistical consulting included work for Einstein College of Medicine and various day schools and synagogues throughout the metropolitan area.

He lives in New York City with his wife Debby.Two innovative statistics teaching projects that have excited students are the online videos and Monte Carlo simulations. I have produced over 160 videos explaining and demonstrating the concepts and formulas of Statistics I and II.Simulation models of longitudinal data for calculating statistical power; e-mail medicine reminder system for adolescents; Internet-based vocabulary software.

Courses Taught