1838

The Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College opens.

1854

The Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College receives an independent charter from the Virginia General Assembly and becomes the Medical College of Virginia.

1958

The Division of Biometry, headed by Malcolm Turner, Ph.D., is created within the MCV Department of Biophysics and Biometry.  (Biometry is defined as the study and application of mathematical and statistical research to biological subjects.)

1963

Turner departs, and the Division of Biometry splits off to become an independent Department of Biometry.

1965

S. James Kilpatrick Jr., Ph.D. is recruited to head the Department of Biometry and tasked with providing statistical and computing assistance to researchers throughout MCV.  The Scientific Computation Laboratory is absorbed into the Department. In addition to the chair, there is one master’s-level faculty member and two computer assistants who run the primitive RPC 4000 Royal McBee computer. At that time, this is the only computer devoted to research on the MCV Campus.

1967

Following the recruitment of Roger Flora, Ph.D. and Walter Hansbrough Carter Jr., Ph.D., a graduate training program in biometry launches, offering M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.

1969

The first students, Dave Weiss and Mike Hogye, enroll in the new graduate training program. In order to activate the mathematical component of the department, Charles Church, Ph.D., is recruited.

1972

The faculty petitions the administration to change the name of the department from biometry to biostatistics, to better reflect the department’s activities and interests. The administration agreed, and the newly named Department of Biostatistics is located in the first basement of Sanger Hall, named in honor of William T. Sanger, M.D., the third president of the college and founding trustee of the medical college.

1983

Kilpatrick steps down as chair, and Sung Choi, Ph.D., serves as interim chair.

1984

Carter is chosen to chair the department. Under his leadership, the department expands to include 10 full-time faculty members and 15 doctoral candidates with an expansion of its collaborative research activities across the entire university.

2005

Carter retires, and R.K. Elswick, Ph.D., steps in to shepherd the department as interim chair.

2006

The department relocates from the basement of Sanger Hall to the Theater Row Building, providing additional space for growth.

2007

Shumei Sun, Ph.D. is recruited to chair the department. Under her leadership, the department doubles in size and now boasts approximately 20 full-time faculty. Staff additions begin to support an enhanced focus on research, including an analyst to support the computing cluster system (a far cry from the department's original RPC 4000 Royal McBee computer).

2011

The department relocates to our current home at One Capitol Square, adjacent to the historic Virginia State Capitol complex and within walking distance of the MCV Campus.