Symposium in Honour of Chris Heyde
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STATISTICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED NEWSLETTER December 2008 Number 125 IN ThIS issue Symposium in Editorial 2 Honour of Chris Heyde MODSIM 09 3 A symposium in honour of Chris Heyde was people commented on the warm atmosphere Obituary 5 held at the University of Canberra on generated, and the appreciation shown by 29 August 2008. Professor Stephen Parker, everyone present for the life and work of Chris Vic Branch 6 Vice-Chancellor of the University, welcomed Heyde. participants; the opening presentation NSW Branch 8 Thankyou to Dr Shuangzhe Liu, University was given by Dr Beth Heyde; and closing of Canberra, and Professors Alan Welsh and Canberra Branch 10 comments were made by Professor Alan Joe Gani, Australian National University, Welsh, ANU. In between, the talks were for organising the workshop and bringing WA Branch 11 unified by their connection to research together so many interesting speakers in a Chris was involved in, or that he would have single day. QLD Branch 12 been interested in. A full list of speakers and topics is given below. Each speaker SA Branch 14 described their connection to Chris as well as WoRkSHop pRogRam presenting their research. In particular, Alice Professor Joe Gani Richardson described Chris’s contribution to ANU the Canberra Branch of the Statistical Society A model for the spread of cholera. including his service on Branch Council and as Branch President. There was also Professor Peter Taylor an extract of a talk by Chris Heyde himself, Australian Mathematics Trust / UC as a video was made of him giving a talk at An introduction to probability. the University of Virginia in 2005. A poster Dr Alice Richardson advertising that conference is included. UC At least 40 people attended the workshop, Seasonality in Chlamydia pneumoniae including senior Statistics students from in Canberra. the University of Canberra, and statisticians Dr Richard Morton employed in Government agencies. Many CSIRO Simultaneous prediction of toxicity of multiple chemicals to multiple species. Dr Bob Anderssen CSIRO Causal integral equations. Dr David Heath ANU A survey of numerical methods for exponential Lévy process models. Professor Ross Maller Professor Alan Welsh (ANU), Dr Beth Heyde, ANU (presented by Dr Shuangzhe Liu, UC) Dr Alice Richardson (UC) and Dr Shuangzhe Liu (UC) A generalised skewness statistic with all made presentations at the workshop. reference to financial applications. EDITORIAL // December Editorial Another year is drawing rapidly to a close, contributions to your Society’s newsletter one of meaning that many experience a change in your resolutions for 2009. Enjoy the summer too! workload, for example, another cohort of students finishing their exams, or a rush to mEmbER NEWS complete projects by year’s end. The last PO Box 5111, newsletter for this year emphasises Branch Ross Darnell and Petra Kuhnert attended the Braddon ACT 2612 International Biometrics Conference in Dublin in Phone 02 6249 8266 reports, and they too wrap up an excellent August, and presented a poster. This poster was Fax 02 6249 6558 set of activities that have occurred across all subsequently awarded a prize. Congratulations Email [email protected] Branches. Society Web Page Petra and Ross! By the time this newsletter reaches you, the http://www.ststsoc.org.au silly season will be under way. The Editors Editors would like to take this opportunity to wish all apoLogy Society members a happy Christmas, and a We forgot to print an acknowledgement with Alice Richardson School of ISE, pleasant New Year. We would also like to thank the fantastic photos of ASC that appeared on University of Canberra, all those who have contributed to the newsletter, the front page of the August newsletter The whether by writing reports, taking photos or photos were taken by Adrian Baddeley, and the Michael Adena Covance Pty Ltd entering competitions. Thankyou also to the Editors would like to apologise for omitting the PO Box 5125, Braddon ACT 2612 organizations who have supported the activities acknowledgment, and to thank Adrian very much of the Statistical Society and its members – your for making the photos available to us. CORRESPONDENCE input into successful Society activities is much Please direct all editorial appreciated. correspondence to Alice The deadline for copy for the next newsletter Alice Richardson Richardson. Alice Richardson email: [email protected] is 10 February 2009 - please consider making Editor DISCLAImER The views of contributors to this Newsletter should not be attributed to the Statistical Society of Australia, Inc. SUbSCRIPTIONS Conferences The Newsletter of the Statistical Society of Australia is supplied International Conference on Recent free to all members of the society. Development in Statistical Sciences Jointly Any others wishing to subscribe Organized by Carleton University, Canada and to the newsletter may do so at an annual cost of A$30.00 for an North South University, Bangladesh issue of four numbers. 26-27 December 2008, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh Local ADvERTISINg Young Statisticians’ Conference 2009 http://www.sci.usq.edu.au/staff/khans/stat-conf- Advertising will be carried in the 2008.pdf 2-3 October 2009, Sydney Newsletter on any matters which http://www.statsoc.org.au/young-statisticians- the Editors feel are of interest to The Mathematics and Statistics in Industry conference.htm the members of the Society. For Study Group details of advertising rates, etc. Tenth Biennial Islamic Countries Conference on 27-31 January 2009, Wollongong, NSW contact the SSAI Executive Officer Statistical Sciences http://www.uow.edu.au/informatics/maths/ at [email protected] (ICCS-X) research/misg/index.html PRINTINg 20-23 December 2009, The American University 18th IMACS World Congress, MODSIM 09 Blue Star Print Group in Cairo (AUC), New Cairo, Egypt 22 Pirie Street, Fyshwick ACT 2609 International Congress on Modelling http://www.isoss.com.pk/iccsx.htm or http:// and Simulation with Mathematical and www.isoss.com.pk Computational Sciences DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE: Australian Statistical Conference 2010 10 February 2009 13-17 July 2009, Cairns, QLD http://www.mssanz.org.au/modsim09/ 6 – 10 December 2010, Perth, WA downloads/MODSIM09.pdf http://www.promaco.com.au/2010/asc/index.htm Page 2 SoCiETy SECRETaRiES Central Council The Role of Statistics in modelling and President Professor William Dunsmuir Secretary: Dr Doug Shaw Simulation Collaborations [email protected] Canberra Collaboration is playing an increasingly sampling strategies, model parameterisation, President: Dr Glenys Bishop important role in guaranteeing successful testing and sensitivity analysis. As is clear from Secretary: Dr Ray Lindsay outcomes for modern research challenges the following Table, statisticians and statistical [email protected] such as sustainable development, conservation science have contributed substantially to previous New South Wales of water resources and global warming. The MODSIM Congresses and involvement in future President: Dr Eric Beh success of collaboration relates directly to Congress is critical to their continued success. Secretary: Dr Boris Choy [email protected] the joint experimental-scientific-statistical- The next MODSIM Congress, MODSIM09, will mathematical fire power that it brings to bear Queensland be in Cairns, July 13-17, 2009. Its theme, on the related research deliberations. President: Dr Miranda Mortlock which directly reflects the importance of Secretary: Helen Johnson MODSIM (the biannual Modelling and Simulation collaboration, is “Interfacing the Mathematical [email protected] Congress of the Modelling & Simulation Society and Computational Sciences with Modelling and South Australia of Australian & New Zealand) has a long tradition Simulation Applications”, with the statistical President: Dr Andreas Kiermeier of bringing together researchers, working on sciences being seen as a key discipline within Acting Secretary: Paul Sutcliffe practical real-world problems, who are using the mathematical sciences. A major goal of [email protected] modelling and simulation tools to recover the Congress is to bring together scientists, Victoria information from experimental data and/or identify statisticians, mathematicians, computer President the various scenarios that represent possible scientists, engineers and industry professionals Professor Mervyn Silvapulle Secretary: Lucy Busija solutions to complex interconnected issues or contributing to modelling and simulation [email protected] networks. Examples include the development endeavours, with particular emphasis on of decision support tools for prioritisation of developing the science and practice of modelling Western Australia President: Marty Firth investment in water quality management, and simulation, as well as environmental and Secretary: Rebecca O’Leary modelling international financial markets, defence industrial issues. [email protected] and homeland security applications and analysis Fittingly, climate change and global warming of traffic control systems. will be major modelling and simulation SectioN CHaiRS Within this framework, statistics has played and issues discussed at MODSIM09 which is very Bayesian Statistics will continue to play a key role when matters appropriate for the Cairns location as a major Kerrie Mengersen revolve around the use of experimental design departure point for tours of the Great Barrier [email protected] to define a protocol for