Ronald Does studied mathematics and received his PhD at Leiden University. He then worked as an assistant professor and later as an associate professor of Medical Statistics and Psychometrics at Maastricht University. A stint working for Philips followed, where he focused on improving product quality using statistical methods to identify vulnerabilities in the production process.

Career at the UvA

Does has been a professor at the UvA since 1991. In 1994 he founded the Institute for Business and Industrial Statistics (IBIS UvA). The institute was consulted by companies seeking to optimise their operational processes, such as ABN AMRO Bank, ASML, Douwe Egberts, and dozens of hospitals. He also established the Lean Six Sigma programmes in the Netherlands, enabling thousands to complete a Green Belt or Black Belt programme.

Does has always combined academics and practice in the field. He wrote 125 academic articles and 10 books on industrial statistics. What's more, he also supervised 24 doctoral candidates, including 3 from Pakistan.

International work

In an international context, Does was actively involved in establishing the International Society for Business and Industrial Statistics (ISBIS), the European Network for Business and Industrial Statistics (ENBIS) and the International Statistical Engineering Association (ISEA). Does is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and the American Society for Quality. He has previously won the William G. Hunter Award and the Walter A. Shewhart and George E.P. Box Medals.

Ronald Does will be accorded emeritus status in 2021. His valedictory speech will be about his experiences as a statistician during the past 45 years.

About the Lancaster Medal

This medal presented by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) has been awarded since 1981 to people who have made an outstanding international contribution to improving the quality of processes, products and services. Previous winners of the medal include Armand Feigenbaum, considered the founder of Total Quality Management, and Noriaki Kano, the creator of the customer satisfaction model.