Info He Looked for a Means to Reconnect with the Program Will Consider Wireless Sensor Networks
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
samsi spotlight programs continued from page 1 Summer 2006 A year ago James Lynch stepped down synergy between deterministic, statistical and physical as chair of the Statistics Department at the analysis necessitates a concerted collaboration between University of South Carolina to return to applied mathematicians, statisticians, engineers, geolo- fulltime teaching and research. As the duties gists, and material scientists. of a department chair can be all-consuming, Environmental Sensor Networks: This spring 2008 info he looked for a means to reconnect with the program will consider wireless sensor networks. These excitement of research. pose unique challenges for environmental modeling: volume 1 • issue 1 • the newsletter of the Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute The SAMSI program on National Defense a complex system is being observed by a dynamical and Homeland Security looked right for him; network. This presents an opportunity to organize the his interest in reliability statistics drew him sensor system so that a local or micro event can trigger Programs for to the working groups on anomaly detection a broad or macro observation - or conversely, a macro and data confidentiality. While teaching in observation can trigger highly detailed local data gath- 2007-08 finalized the fall of 2005 he participated in the NDHS ering. Success in modeling and optimizing this network group activities via a weekly phone connection. Others in the group from will require a collaborative effort by statisticians, math- n May, the programs for the 2007-08 the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and the Department of Homeland ematicians, computational scientists and environmental Iyear were finalized. As usual, SAMSI Security in Washington DC also called in. With a second-semester scientists. will have a full range of educational and sabbatical, he moved into a SAMSI office in January and stayed until May. Dynamic Treatment Regimes and Multistage Deci- outreach programs for graduate students, While here, Lynch quickly teamed up with Francisco Vera, a SAMSI sion-Making: This summer program (June 18-29, 2007) undergraduate students and members of postdoctoral scientist from Ecuador who had been Lynch’s doctoral student will consider development of “dynamic treatment re- underrepresented groups. The approved at South Carolina. He also worked closely with David Dickey, one of the gimes’’ or “adaptive treatment strategies’’ which are ex- scientific programs are the following: NDHS program leaders. The three of them have drafted a paper on anomaly plicit, operationalized series of decision rules specifying Risk Analysis, Extreme Events and detection, and Lynch is working on one or two other papers. how treatment level and type of treatment should vary Decision Theory: This full-year SAMSI The state of South Carolina, like some others, is setting up what the over time for individual patients. Clinicians routinely program will address fundamental issues CDC calls a “Syndromic Surveillance System” such as one in operation in in risk analysis, as well as associated New York City. It receives real-time clinical data from hospitals and serves and freely tailor treatment to the characteristics of the individual patient, based on instincts and experience. problems associated with extreme events as a rapid detection system for potential epidemic outbreaks or acts of and decision theory. The program will bioterrorism. Lynch’s experience with anomaly detection and previous work The goal of this program is to develop an evidence- based process for assisting in these decisions. engage researchers from the statistical sci- on reliability of data analysis may lead to collaboration with this project. ences, applied mathematical sciences and James Lynch came to SAMSI to revitalize his scientific career. He says it See the SAMSI website for information as to how to participate in these programs. decision sciences, including operations worked and calls it “very rewarding.” research. The goal is to produce genuine photo by Thomas Lehman impact on the practice of risk analysis CAARMS attendees Etienne Ogoubi, Stephanie Somersille, Irene Moshesh and and assessment, as well as on theory and program workshops Luke Stewart were honored for their research poster presentations. methodology for extreme events and deci- Development, Assessment High Dimensional Inference High Dimensional Inference High Dimensional Inference sion theory. Related policy concerns direct and Utilization of Complex and Random Matrices and Random Matrices and Random Matrices attention not only to the dramatic risks for Computer Models Opening Workshop and Tutorials Bayesian Focus Week Transition Workshop African-American mathematicians huge numbers of people associated, for Opening Workshop and Tutorials Sept. 17-20, 2006 Oct. 30 - Nov. 3, 2006 April 10-13, 2007, at AIM, Palo example, with events of the magnitude Sept. 10-14, 2006 (Radisson Hotel RTP) (Radisson RTP) Alto, California meet for annual research conference of Hurricane Katrina or bioterrorism, but (Radisson Hotel RTP) also to “small-scale” risks such as drug AMSI and the Mathematics pathogenesis, DNA dynamics, modeling For more information about SAMSI programs and workshops, visit SAMSI’s Web site at http://www.samsi.info or call 919-685-9350. interactions driven by rare combinations Department of University of national economic growth, analysis of genetic factors. SNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill of social networks, protein structure Random Media: This full-year program co-hosted this year’s Conference for prediction, involutions of simplectic will address a number of fundamental is- African American Researchers in the groups and optimization of nurse/patient sues pertaining to random media including Mathematical Sciences (CAARMS). ratios in hospitals. scattering theory in highly discontinuous 19 T.W. ALEXANDER DRIVE P.O. BOX 14006 and random media, time reversal, model RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC 27709-4006 A total of 68 attendees registered for The banquet speaker, Professor the event, held June 20-23 in the UNC Johnny Houston of Elizabeth City (North development, analysis, and numerical Mathematics Department and at SAMSI. Carolina) State University, stressed the approximation for interface methods, and Eleven invited lecturers gave research importance of international organizations imaging in random media. The inherent reports on widely varied topics. In an of mathematicians and urged the opening lecture on “Gravity, Light and audience to include Africa in their global see PROGRAMS, page 4 Mathematics,” Arlie Petters, professor perspective. His campus has a program to of Mathematics and Physics at Duke provide learning materials for Senegal. also in this issue... University, included career guidance based Many conference attendees have gone on his own experience. His concern for to previous CAARMS meetings, so the Summer program tackles the group’s younger members continued in annual event has a strong social as well as conversations after the lecture. mathematical dimension; networking was multiplicity Other speakers, coming from North on the minds of many participants. Carolina, Maryland and Florida, spoke Spring program looked at on measurement error, solitons, HIV see CAARMS, page 2 Astrostatistics From the director... Summer program tackles multiplicity samsi.info t is great to see the long-planned allowing volume 1 • issue 1 summer program on Multiplicity “treatment effect” SAMSI newsletter come to fruition. individuals who and Reproducibility in Scientific in some subgroup. The newsletter will be published are not free during Joanna R. Worrell I Studies began on July If one looks at Editor quarterly, with the dual purpose of the academic year A 10 and continued through July 28. More enough subgroups, reporting on what has happened at SAMSI to visit SAMSI for than 60 participants – from clinical an apparent – but and what is going to happen. My thanks to an intensive period Thomas Lehman Joanna Worrell and Thomas Lehman for of research during researchers to statistical analysts – studied not real – effect can SAMSI Reporter putting together an excellent first edition! the summer. fundamental questions such as why the be found just by Summer is a good time to reflect On the edu- results from so many scientific studies do chance. The statistical on the past year at SAMSI. The three cation front, the not stand up to further scrutiny. challenge is thus to directorate Program leaders were Peter Westfall, of devise methodology research programs from last year have highly popular James O. Berger James O. Berger finished, ending on a high note with the Industrial Texas Technical University, chair; Peter that can allow for Duke University Astrostatistics closing workshop at Penn Workshop for Graduate Students was Mueller, of the M.D. Anderson Cancer adjustment of such Director State (joint with the Astrostatistics Center held at the end of July, and another new Center in Houston; and Juliet Shaffer, of apparent effects to there). It was a joy to see the way that initiative, a Summer School, was held in the Department of Statistics, UC-Berkeley. reflect the looks at Christopher Jones modern statistics and mathematics have mid-August. The Summer School was Stan Young, of NISS, was the local many subgroups, and The University of North Carolina taken hold in astronomy and astrophysics. on statistical and applied mathematical scientific coordinator. was the focus of this at Chapel Hill One of the exciting developments