ANN ARBOR—Richard W. (Andy) Andrews, an associate professor of statistics at the University of Michigan Business School, died of a heart attack May 29 in Brazil. He was 61.

Andrews, who had taught at the Business School since 1974, was also the academic director of the Brazil Global MBA Program. At the time of his death, he was in Brazil working with teams of students helping companies solve business problems.

“Andy was a beloved member of our community,” says Susan Ashford, senior associate dean for academic affairs at the Business School. “He brought his passion for excellence and his unique zest to everything he did.”

“He could easily have been a general, CEO, or talk-show host, which pretty much spans his talents,” adds Peter Lenk, associate professor and chair of statistics and management science at the Business School. “But teaching statistics was his passion.”

Andrews’ academic work focused on statistical quality control studies, applications of Bayesian statistical analysis, and vehicle fuel economy and emissions.

“Andy was the Michael Jordan of our world,” says Jim Walsh, professor and chair of organizational behavior and human resource management at the Business School. “He was simply the best teacher I have ever known. You had to bring your best game if you wanted to teach with him. He made us all better.”

A decorated war veteran, Andrews served in Vietnam as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1964 to 1968. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He earned a master’s in mathematical statistics from Michigan State University in 1970 and a doctorate in statistics from Virginia Tech in 1973.

During his tenure at Michigan, Andrews served as chair of statistics and management science from 1989 to 1997. He also consulted frequently with businesses such as Ford Motor Co., Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Michigan and Ernst & Young.

Before coming to the U-M, Andrews taught at the University of North Florida and was an applied statistician for the Michigan Department of Public Health and the Naval Undersea Center in San Diego.

Andrews was born Dec. 11, 1940, in Dayton, Ohio. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth of Ann Arbor; children David (Thu-Lan) of Irving, Texas, Daniel (Wendy) of San Francisco and Martha of Boston; and six grandchildren, Matthias, Angela, Joseph, Thomas, Patrick and Albert.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Monday at the Business School’s Hale Auditorium.

statisticsGlobal MBA ProgramSusan AshfordPeter LenkJim WalshFord Motor Co.