Nyovani Madise MSc and PhD Social Statistics, 1993

Associate Dean, Research & Enterprise

The combination of 'social' and 'statistics' appealed both to my statistical background and my desire to do something good for humankind.

Q: Why did you choose to undertake your studies at the University of Southampton?

At first, I only planned to spend a year at Southampton to complete my masters degree. I took a BSc Mathematics and Statistics in my home country, Malawi, and wanted to study at postgraduate level at a Commonwealth university. The MSc Social Statistics at Southampton was appealing. The combination of 'social' and 'statistics' appealed both to my statistical background and my desire to do something good for humankind. The one-year duration of the course was also an important consideration.

However, when I was considering returning to study in 1990 after a period lecturing in Malawi, returning to Southampton seemed an obvious choice – despite the weather. There was only one place where I knew that I could get the good grounding in statistical methods and applications. So back to Southampton I came. For the PhD, I investigated the interface between birth interval length and infant mortality in Malawi using multilevel modelling; I was then offered a job in Social Sciences.

Q: What have you achieved as a result of studying here?

I co-directed Opportunities and Choices, a Department for International Development (DFID)-funded knowledge programme of research in reproductive health between 1999 and 2001 and was the first director of the Centre for AIDS Research. I am currently director of the Centre for Global Health, Population, Poverty, and Policy, and continue to work on child survival, nutrition, HIV/AIDS and the use of contraceptives in sub-saharan Africa, as well as being deputy head of Research and Enterprise in Social Sciences.