AMSTATNEWS the Membership Magazine of the American Statistical Association •

May 2021 • Issue #527 AMSTATNEWS The Membership Magazine of the American Statistical Association • http://magazine.amstat.org

2021 COPSS AWARD WINNERS

ALSO: ASA, International Community Continue to Decry Georgiou Persecution

Birth of an ASA Outreach Group: The Origins of JEDI

AMSTATNEWS MAY 2021 • ISSUE #527 Executive Director Ron Wasserstein: [email protected]

Associate Executive Director and Director of Operations Stephen Porzio: [email protected] features Senior Advisor for Statistics Communication and Media Innovation 3 President’s Corner Regina Nuzzo: [email protected] 5 ASA, International Community Continue to Decry Director of Science Policy Georgiou Persecution Steve Pierson: [email protected]

Director of Strategic Initiatives and Outreach 8 What a Year! Practical Significance Celebrates Resilient Donna LaLonde: [email protected] Class of 2021

Director of Education 9 Significance Launches Data Economy Series with April Issue Rebecca Nichols: [email protected] 10 CHANCE Highlights: Spring Issue Features Economic Managing Editor Impact of COVID-19, Kullback’s Career, Sharing Data Megan Murphy: [email protected] 11 Forget March Madness! Students Test Probability Skills Editor and Content Strategist with March Randomness Val Nirala: [email protected] 12 My ASA Story: James Cochran Advertising Manager Joyce Narine: [email protected] 14 StatFest Back for 21st Year in 2021 Production Coordinators/Graphic Designers 15 Birth of an ASA Outreach Group: The Origins of JEDI Olivia Brown: [email protected] Megan Ruyle: [email protected] 18 2021 COPSS Award Winners Contributing Staff Members 23 A Story of COVID-19, Mentoring, and West Virginia Kim Gilliam Amstat News welcomes news items and letters from readers on matters of interest to the association and the profession. Address correspondence to Managing Editor, Amstat News, American Statistical Association, 732 North Washington Street, Alexandria VA 22314-1943 USA, or email amstat@ columns amstat.org. Items must be received by the first day of the preceding month to ensure appearance in the next issue (for example, June 1 for the July issue). Material can be sent as a Microsoft Word document, PDF, or within an email. Articles will be edited for space. Accompanying artwork will be accepted 25 STATtr@k in graphics file formats only (.jpg, etc.), minimum 300 dpi. No material in On the Data Frontline: Biostatisticians WordPerfect will be accepted. Amstat News (ISSN 0163-9617) is published monthly by the American in the Hospital Research Setting Statistical Association, 732 North Washington Street, Alexandria VA 22314- 1943 USA. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Virginia, and additional STATtr@k is a column in Amstat News and a website geared toward people mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Amstat News, 732 who are in a statistics program, recently graduated from a statistics program, North Washington Street, Alexandria VA 22314-1943 USA. Send Canadian or recently entered the job world. To read more articles like this one, visit the address changes to APC, PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Rich Hill, website at http://stattrak.amstat.org. If you have suggestions for future arti- ON L4B 4R6. Annual subscriptions are $50 per year for nonmembers. Amstat cles, or would like to submit an article, please email Megan Murphy, Amstat News is the member publication of the ASA. For annual membership rates, News managing editor, at [email protected]. see www.amstat.org/join or contact ASA Member Services at (888) 231-3473. American Statistical Association 732 North Washington Street Alexandria, VA 22314–1943 USA 28 STATS4GOOD (703) 684–1221 Education Advocacy: Bending the ‘Moral Arc ASA GENERAL: [email protected] of the Universe’ with Data for Good ADDRESS CHANGES: [email protected] AMSTAT EDITORIAL: [email protected] This column is written for those interested in learning about ADVERTISING: [email protected] the world of Data for Good, where statistical analysis is WEBSITE: http://magazine.amstat.org dedicated to good causes that benefit our lives, our Printed in USA © 2021 communities, and our world. If you would like to American Statistical Association know more or have ideas for articles, contact David Corliss at [email protected].

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Ruixiao Lu Vice President, Head of Statistics, Clinical Data Management and Data Science, Quantum Leap Healthcare Celebrating ASA Treasurer (2020–2022) ASIAN PACIFIC What inspired you to become a statistician? I am interested in how data can help us better understand the AMERICAN world, make good decisions, and help each other. HERITAGE MONTH What is the best career advice you’ve received? Own your career. Speak up. Don’t give up easily.

What are the most important qualities for a leader to have? Claire Bowen Integrity. Empathy. Accountability. Courage. Lead Data Scientist, Privacy and Data Security, When traveling is possible again, where would Urban Institute you like to visit? ASA Chair, Committee on Career Development Many places, including JSM and other conferences, plus the ASA headquarters! I’ve missed What is the best career advice you’ve received? the in-person interactions with my fellow Pursue what you love. This phrase sounds cliché, but many of statisticians, data scientists, and physician col- us justify making decisions that we ultimately don’t want to leagues. I also would like to visit China, where do because it is what society says is successful. We deﬁne some of my family members are living. our own success.

What is your favorite What are the most important qualities for a way to relax? leader to have? Reading with Pumpkin (my older cat) Empathy and the willingness to on my lap. “serve” others

When traveling is possible departments again, where would you like to visit? Ireland 30 education What is your favorite way to relax? Jing Cao Running with my dogs or knitting Southern Methodist University ASA Chair, Committee on Professional Ethics Registration Open for USCOTS 2021 What inspired you to become a statistician? The perspective of using logical-statistical skills and working with people from diverse research ﬁelds. It is never boring.

What is the best career advice you’ve received? Cultivate curiosity; be a life-long learner

What are the most important qualities for a leader to have? Being able to motivate and bring people together; being organized Ji Zhu and getting things done on time Professor, University of Michigan ASA Council of Sections When traveling is possible again, where would you like to visit? Machu Picchu What inspired you to become a statistician? The opportunity to work with real data and make meaningful conclusions about real-life problems What is your favorite way to relax? I have been teaching myself piano for three What is the best career advice you’ve years—very enjoyable and relaxing. received? Don’t be intimidated by people who are smarter than you. Anybody can do good research and make unique contributions!

What are the most important qualities In celebration of Asian/Paciﬁc American Heritage Month, for a leader to have? Integrity and good communication skills we are paying tribute to the contributions of some of our Asian- and Paciﬁc Islander–American members. When traveling is possible again, where would you like to visit? These individuals have been chosen because of their I’d like to go to Beijing to visit my parents. They are almost 80 meaningful leadership and commitment to the ASA. years old and I haven’t seen them in more than a year.

What is your favorite way to relax? Playing badminton with my 10-year-old daughter

APPposter.indd 1 THE AMERICAN STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION

4/15/21 11:28 AM Look inside this issue for a poster celebrating Asian/ Pacific American Heritage Month! Biostatistics Professor Wins

WSDS 2021 UPDATE Nathan Mantel The Women in Statistics and Data Award—Page 31 Science Conference is going virtual. This conference, now taking place October 6–8, 2021, celebrates and recognizes the contributions of women in statistics and data science. It will bring together leaders from academia, government, and industry; member news professional statisticians and data scientists; and 31 People News graduate students and postdocs. Join us from anywhere. Early registration opens May 27. ww2. 34 Awards and Deadlines amstat.org/meetings/wsds/2021/registration.cfm 36 Section • Chapter • Committee News 37 Professional Opportunities SIGN UP FOR ISI SHORT COURSES PROGRAMME Registration for the virtual 2021 ISI Short Courses Programme, organized in cooperation with the ISI Follow us on Twitter Associations, is now open. The courses will take www.twitter.com/AmstatNews place from May 6 to July 1. For information, visit Join the ASA Community https://bit.ly/3tekEio. http://community.amstat.org

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2 amstat news may 2021 president's corner

Using Our Superpowers to Contribute to the Public Good

like to think of we statisticians as Jedi mas- tweaking. Think about the COVID vaccine rollout ters of uncertainty. We find ways to garner as a program if you want a real-world example. “The Force”—mathematical statistics—in Note that a formative evaluation (almost subduingI the dark side of uncertainty in data to always involving qualitative research) illustrates achieve the common good: to gain insight and the rigorous version of this tweaking activity. In knowledge. But we are not omnipotent. Our an ideal world, one would want the new program superpowers are only as good as their underlying to mature and be running on all cylinders at the assumptions, assumptions that are all too often time of a quantitative evaluation that involves embraced with aplomb, yet cannot be proven. an RCT or quasi-experimental design. But that Photo by Errich Petersen Photography Some election polling in the past two presi- does not always happen—not by a long shot. Rob Santos dential elections has succumbed to the inad- It raises the question of what actually is being equacies of underlying assumptions (specifically, tested. Formally testing a novice program may likely voter models), in my humble opinion. not represent a fair assessment of its true impact Some COVID models of infections and deaths or potency and lead to a missed opportunity to performed well early on, only to falter as a result do good. of real-time changes in underlying assump tions tied to population behaviors (e.g., impact of lock downs, travel bans, mask wearing). When we are in our comfort zone and (implicit and explicit) assumptions hold, statis- Our superpowers are only as good as their ticians can appear invincible in their promises of cogent statistical inference. And while the sage underlying assumptions, assumptions that words of our statistical Yoda, George Box, holds true today that “all models are wrong, but some are useful,” we statisticians can face a real chal- are all too often embraced with aplomb, lenge knowing when some models are useful and when they are not. Let’s discuss with an example. yet cannot be proven. Consider a class of statistical investigations in the policy arena—randomized controlled trials. The rage over the past couple of decades has been the adoption of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to demonstrate effectiveness of a given program in Then, there is the RCT itself. In the social addressing a particular social problem. Pick any and health program evaluation world, RCTs are program in housing, food insecurity, employment, pretty standard and randomly assign enrollees to education, recidivism, policing, etc. The usual spon- the new treatment program, or to either nothing sor-preferred approach is to conduct a demonstra- or “usual care” if some nominal forms of services tion and then follow that with an RCT. Simple and are being offered. We, as statisticians, are typical- rigorous, right? ly charged with developing power calculations to Well …, I always advocate to respect the life detect some (often unspecified) level of impact course of a program. Demonstration projects are that would be tantamount to a “successful” out- necessarily formative in nature. Especially for a come. And then we are sent on our way until first-time, nascent program, necessary adjustments it’s time to analyze the results and presumably are made on the fly because you cannot possibly declare victory of some sort. get everything “right” until you actually imple- The problem is that an RCT is defined by ment and see what’s working or not and what needs assigning folks to a treatment or control group,

may 2021 amstat news 3 where the control is supposed to be the counter- measured impact of a program with respect to factual. Alas, there never really exists a true coun- alternative, unknown other treatments compli- terfactual—the absence of treatment and noth- cate the job of a statistician. You do need to care ing else. The reason is that something else almost enough to scratch below the surface of develop- always exists. If I am unemployed and fail to get ing power calculations or analyzing results and into a program to help me get employed, you can exploring the underlying influences on impacts. bet I will go find some other resources to help My illustration used RCTs for program evalu- me secure a job. If my family experiences food ation to discuss underlying assumptions, but insecurity and does not get into a program to help the lessons learned apply to most social science– provide food, I will not stop my efforts until I related endeavors. This is also true for data sci- find some way to get food on the table, and that ence projects and big data/AI projects. How do may well be through some alternative program. we know we are measuring the right thing? And The point is that, for social program evalua- is it being measured accurately? What assumptions, there is almost never a true counterfactual; tions implicitly undergird the validity of results instead, RCTs typically measure the impact of a and associated inferences? new program against some other unknown single We, as statisticians, are in an awesome posi- treatment or combination of alternative treat- tion to help researchers think through these issues ments. Specifically, what is actually being mea- and understand the limitations and strengths of sured is a treatment program’s marginal impact the statistical inferences that flow from rigor- against unspecified other treatments. ous research studies. I often use such opportu- Such program evaluations typically do not nities to apply an equity lens to assess the cul- measure efficacy against a true counterfac- tural relevance and appropriateness of all aspects tual. That can wreak havoc on power calcula- of the design, from the underlying logic model tions because notions of how much of a mea- to data-collection modes, measures of efficacy, surable impact really defines “success” need to and intended analyses (and interpretations). The be rethought and often lowered in magnitude, most stimulating discussions stem from vision- which inevitably means a much larger trial and ing questions at the design stage when I ask, “If more time and expense. the program works as intended, what would be And then there is the reality of the environ- happening with the program staff, with the pro- ment. RCTs can suggest efficacy via statistical gram participants, and in the community?” The inference from a rigorous design, implementa- bottom line is that we can and should invoke our tion, and analysis. But many social programs own critical thinking into our statistical work, to help people in need are implemented at a whether we are a team member on a project or local level using community-based organiza- the project’s “episodic” consultant. We best serve tions (CBOs)—which could benefit much from our profession and our communities when we us volunteering our services, by the way. Local are thoughtful and humble. CBOs are not always as robust as we wish they Yes, I do believe in the power of The Force. were. It is not uncommon for professional And I do believe statisticians can be superheroes. staff—including senior staff such as program But, like everyone else, we are not infallible. directors and CEOs/presidents—to have limited Let’s use our superpowers with grace, honor, and tenures, leaving after a couple of years. The loss integrity to achieve the public good. of a “program champion” due to normal staff turnover can be devastating, even to the most effective program. I have personally seen this time and again throughout my career. Thus, we see basic assumptions such as the stability of staff infrastructure supporting a program, the nature of the counterfactual in an RCT, and the magnitude of

4 amstat news may 2021 ASA, International Community Continue to Decry Georgiou Persecution

Steve Pierson, ASA Director of Science Policy, and Lynn Wilkinson, Friends of Greece

ollowing this winter’s Greek appeals court … It is also about the incentive structures for Greek ruling finding former Greek chief statisti- official statisticians now and in the long term. What cian Andreas Georgiou liable for slander, happens in this case, when it reaches the Greek ASAF leaders denounced the latest legal setback Supreme Court, will have repercussions in Greece against Georgiou. “Persecuting a scientific govern- and in the wider EU, both for the rule of law and ment official for doing his job with rigor and human rights, and for the soundness of policies integrity to produce official statistics is deeply based on honest and reliable official statistics.” concerning,” said ASA President Robert Santos. The slander charge pertains to a public state- “Prosecuting Georgiou for stating what is wide- ment Georgiou made in his official role while ly validated and fulfilling his official responsibili- fulfilling his responsibility to defend the fully vali- ties is a travesty,” added ASA Executive Director dated official deficit and debt statistics for Greece Andreas Georgiou Ron Wasserstein. produced under his leadership. Echoing ASA Board statements, both ASA leaders urged Greece to end its now 10-year persecution Background of Georgiou and signal Greece’s commitment to “The game is over; we need serious statistical data.” accurate and ethical government statistics by fully ~ Jean-Claude Juncker, President, Eurogroup, exonerating him. 2005–2013 The international community also spoke out, including through social media (see sidebar). In a “I am seriously concerned about significant statistical March 29 opinion piece for the Greek newspaper discrepancies… [which] will require an open and deep Kathimerini, prominent Greek economist Miranda investigation of what has happened.” Xafa wrote, “Georgiou’s prosecution has done enor- Joaquin Almunia, Commissioner, EU Monetary Affairs, mous damage to Greece’s image abroad and has 2004–2009 called into question the country’s ability to understand that the huge fiscal imbalance was real, not a One of the conditions the European Union conspiracy to impose austerity.” (EU) imposed upon Greece in the beginning of John Bailer and John Pullinger, presidents of the 2010 during the early days of the Greek debt cri- International Statistical Institute and International sis was significant reform of the statistical office. Association for Official Statistics, respectively, In this context, further illustrated by the quotes echoed the calls for Greece to end the persecu- above from 2009, Georgiou was recruited to head tion of Georgiou and exonerate him, reiterating the recast national statistical office—the Hellenic in a joint statement their “grave concern that these Statistical Authority (ELSTAT)—with a mission continued prosecutions have damaged the scien- to modernize the production of official statistics, tific integrity of highly regarded work addressing apply fully the EU rules for the production of these Greece’s problematic fiscal statistical reporting from statistics, and ensure ELSTAT’s independence and the 2000s.” They added that Georgiou’s “case has overall implementation of statistical ethics. implications for the international statistical system, Georgiou’s priority when he took the helm of and the rights of government statisticians to defend ELSTAT in August 2010 was to address concerns their statistics,” saying that “[d]efending official repeatedly voiced by European and international statistics … should not lead to legal prosecution.” partners about the credibility of previous Greek eco- German data scientist Katharina Schueller in a nomic statistical figures. Therefore, one of Georgiou’s March 2021 LinkedIn article wrote, “In this case, first responsibilities was to oversee a recalculation not only the fate of a single statistician is at stake. of the public finance statistics for 2006–2009 that Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, could not validate

may 2021 amstat news 5 and which had been adjusted several times during Georgiou was found guilty of simple slander the lead-up to the debt crisis. It was the fully correct- in criminal court. His first appeal of this decision ed public finance figures produced under Georgiou’s failed, but the Greek Supreme Court annulled it leadership that allowed Greece to continue to qualify for extraordinary legal errors. Simple slander, under for the EU and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Greek law, means that even though the statements loans given to help its struggling economy through a Georgiou made were true, he should not have made tough fiscal adjustment process. them because they damaged the honor and reputa- Georgio However, because of the austerity measures that tion of the plaintiff. came with the loans, Georgiou quickly became a scapegoat, blamed by leaders across the Greek politi- 2021 Civil Appeals Court Ruling cal spectrum for the debt crisis, the full size of which on Slander his work had uncovered. As the effects of the austeri- The latest ruling concerned the civil suit for simple ty measures started to be felt, criminal investigations slander by the same plaintiff. In 2017, Georgiou was were initiated against Georgiou in September 2011. ordered to pay damages of €10,000 to the plaintiff Greece proceeded to prosecute Georgiou for doing and publish large parts of the convicting decision as his job to produce accurate, complete, and current a public apology. After numerous delays, the appeals court held its hearing on this case in September HOW TO HELP public finance statistics, starting with charges of fal- The ASA joins sifying the magnitude of the deficit and violation of 2020. In its 2021 decision, the appeals court reject- international partners duty (for not allowing a vote on the statistics). ed Georgiou’s appeal and upheld the decision of the in requesting your At the time the slander charges originated (2014), lower court, including damages of €10,000 (plus support of Georgiou Georgiou had already been investigated twice on interest) and the public apology. by posting to Georgiou said he plans to appeal the ruling to the LinkedIn and Twitter charges of falsifying the deficit and violating his urging Greece to duty. Both investigations concluded there was no Greek Supreme Court, adding, “The stakes in this end its persecution evidence to support the charges and, both times, the case are not only personal for me. They are about fol- of Georgiou and conclusion was ignored and another investigation lowing statistical principles in the various processes exonerate him was initiated. Georgiou was about to face a third of producing and reporting official statistics, includ- using the hashtags investigation and, at this time, the deficit figures ing defending validated official statistics in the face #AndreasGeorgiou and of destructive criticisms. They are also about incen- #JusticeForGeorgiou. produced under Georgiou’s watch had been accepted by Eurostat without reservations eight times in a tive structures for official statisticians in Greece now row over a span of four years (2010–2014). and for the long term. Moreover, the outcome of this Reacting to these continued, relentless attacks case can potentially indirectly affect the conditions on the statistics produced under his leadership, for official statisticians anywhere in the world.” Georgiou issued a strenuous public defense of the The Greek government has also funded a signifi- integrity of these statistics. He also noted the lack of cant portion of the plaintiff’s legal costs to pursue recognized validity for the originally provided data the slander accusation against Georgiou. The law for 2006–2009 by Eurostat and others and pointed under which these funds were granted was meant out that no investigation of these statistics had ever to support official statisticians in their legal defense, been conducted. This fact remains true to this day. and it is a perversion of the law that these provisions Public comments about government statistics have been used for a prosecution. are a standard practice around the world and in Public funding for the head of ELSTAT is part of a accordance with the European Statistics Code of 2017 agreement between the European Commission, Practice, as well as the UN Fundamental Principles Greece, and The Bank of Greece for that year’s dis- of Official Statistics. Public comments are also bursement of €7.7 billion. The agreement held that in accordance with one’s democratic right to free Greece must “legislate the State indemnification of speech, including in Greece. the ELSTAT President—and other ELSTAT officials Nevertheless, both criminal and civil charges acting upon his/her authority—against legal and were instigated against Georgiou by the former other costs … incurred as a result of legal challenges/ (2006–2010) director of the national accounts divi- actions/proceedings taken or threatened against them sion of the statistics office, who was responsible in relation to decisions made and actions taken … for the production of the deficit and debt statistics pursuant to carrying out their official functions in Eurostat could not validate. compliance with applicable provisions and rules,

6 amstat news may 2021 Influencers Speak Out Following the latest legal setback for Georgiou, the international community questioned Greece’s continued hounding of Georgiou on social media using the hashtags #AndreasGeorgiou and #JusticeForGeorgiou. Among the scores of people who tweeted were the following significant influencers:

Olivier Blanchard, Robert Solow Professor of Nicholas Christakis, Sterling Professor of Social and Economics Emeritus, MIT, 77,000 followers: Natural Science, Yale University, 181,000 followers:

Search #JusticeForGeorgiou to find tweets from other influencers.

statutory or otherwise.” The agreement referenced a narrative and persecution of an honest and highly 2012 Greek government commitment “to support capable official statistician as an injustice, a viola- ELSTAT in upholding confidence in Greek statistics tion of Georgiou’s human rights, and a detriment to and to defend them against any efforts to undermine Greece’s reputation and economy.” their credibility.” His American lawyer, Robert Kyle, working on a pro-bono basis, said in an email, “The persecution of Perpetuation of False Narrative Mr. Georgiou is an affront to truth and government In their statements, Santos and Wasserstein equated integrity that ultimately undermines the credibility Greece’s continued prosecution of Georgiou with of Greek statistics. The Greek Government should the perpetuation of a false narrative. As noted above, do everything in its power to right this wrong.” the official statistics produced under Georgiou have This false narrative can still be found in Greek been widely and repeatedly validated. Further, the media today (e.g., https://bit.ly/3uD2g34). ELSTAT methods Georgiou put in place for producing Greek official statistics are still in use. Human Rights Violations While understanding the hardships of the Greek Besides the injustice of the prosecutions, the harm people because of the austerity measures, Santos stat- to Greece’s reputation, and the undermining of ed Georgiou “was unjustly cast as the scapegoat for official statistics, Greece’s treatment of Georgiou is the austerity measures put in place with the EU and also a violation of Georgiou’s human rights. Indeed, International Monetary Fund loans from the early both the 2019 and 2020 US State Department 2010s to help Greece’s then-struggling economy.” Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Referring to the broader impacts of the scape- Greece include several sentences about Georgiou. goating of Georgiou, Santos said, the ASA is “deep- The language for both is similar, with the 2019 lan- ly concerned that a false narrative has damaged the guage excerpted here: scientific integrity of highly regarded work addressing Greece’s problematic fiscal statistical reporting Observers reported the judiciary was at times from the 2000s.” inefficient and sometimes subject to influence Wasserstein reiterated the point, saying, “The and corruption. … On February 28, the Council ASA sees the continued perpetration of a false of Appeals cleared, for the third time, the former

may 2021 amstat news 7 head of the Hellenic Statistical Authority, Andreas Georgiou, of charges that he falsified 2009 budget What a Year! Practical data to justify Greece’s first international bailout. The Supreme Court prosecutor had twice revoked his Significance Celebrates acquittal by the Council of Appeals. … EU officials Resilient Class of 2021 repeatedly denounced Georgiou’s prosecution, reaf- firming confidence in the reliability and accuracy of Kim Gilliam, ASA Marketing and Communications data produced by the country’s statistical authority Coordinator under his leadership. s the COVID-19 pandemic stormed on, the Rebecca Everly, director of the Committee Class of 2021 and its teachers had a year no on Human Rights of the National Academies of one could have imagined.A Adaptable, determined, Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, said, “We are deeply concerned that Dr. Andreas Georgiou has and resilient are just a few faced and continues to face legal proceedings solely adjectives often attributed to MORE ONLINE for carrying out his scientific work and responsi- students and educators this To learn more, year. For our May podcast, visit The Friends bilities during his five-year tenure as president of of Greece website: Greece’s national statistics office. Dr. Georgiou is a hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron https://bit.ly/2QIod22. deeply respected scientist whose service to Greece Wasserstein welcome to the should be supported, not targeted.” show three students earning Yuyu (Ruby) Chen degrees this month and two Praise for Georgiou [very busy!] faculty members. While also speaking against the latest ruling, The following degree can- Wasserstein thanked and praised Georgiou. “I’m didates reflect on this unprece- sorry for all Georgiou has had to endure, but I dented year, share their favorite also commend, and am grateful for, his defense classes and experiences, offer of official statistics. With his perseverance and advice for academic success, strength, he is an exemplary embodiment of the and tell us what’s next for them: commitment of an official statistician to produce • Yuyu (Ruby) Chen, Emma Godfrey the most reliable, impartial data possible.” Master of Science, The praise echoed a 2018 commendation Biostatistics, New York from six statistical societies for Georgiou’s “com- University petency and strength in the face of adversity, his commitment to the production of quality and • Emma Godfrey, Bachelor trustworthiness of official statistics and his advo- of Arts, Mathematics, cacy for the improvement, integrity and inde- Pomona College pendence of official statistics.” • Sallie M. Yassin, Master The ELSTAT data produced under Georgiou of Science, Biostatistics, and their specific methodology has been checked New York University Sallie M. Yassin and accepted 22 times since 2010 by Eurostat Additionally, Miles Ott, associate professor of in its semiannual quality assurance procedures statistical and data sciences at Smith College, and provided for in European law. In addition, the Amy Hogan, who teaches mathematics and statistics statistical processes and ethics characterizing the at Brooklyn Technical High School, (both self-pro- production and dissemination of these official claimed “Smithies”) commiserate over the challenges statistics under Georgiou’s watch are considered of teaching during the pandemic—what’s worked, by the international statistical community to strategies they’ll use going forward, and advice they be fully consistent with international statistical traditionally share with their graduates. Good stuff! principles and ethics. Listen to Episode 5 of Practical Significance as these For more information about Georgiou’s bat- ASA members relay how they ‘Zoomed’ through 2021 tle for justice, contact ASA Director of Science and join us in celebrating this milestone moment for n Policy Steve Pierson at [email protected]. Ruby, Sallie, and Emma. Follow Practical Significance on Twitter @TheASAPodcast. n

8 amstat news may 2021 Significance Launches Data Economy Series with April Issue Brian Tarran, Significance Editor

e live in a “data-driven world,” an “age of are timely, relevant, and reliable … We conclude analytics” in which “data is the new oil.” that official statistics systems should be broadened. These are phrases we’ve all become They should generate quality public statistics that Wfamiliar with—and perhaps grown tired of hear- can be used to help get answers ing—because of their repeat- to the many urgent questions ed use. Less frequently heard, about society and how we can though, is the story of how we sustainably improve our lives got to where we are now— and livelihoods.” how the “data economy” came Several other articles tackle to be. The April issue of COVID-related issues. In the Significance begins a new four- Notebook section, for exam- part series that tells this story, ple, Harrison Schramm, starting with the birth of cus- Isaac Rubin, and Norah tomer insight. Schramm investigate the This “history of the data econ- impact distance learning omy” is an idea the Significance may have had on the grades staff have been developing for a of students at a California while—to tell the story of how high school. Meanwhile, the business of buying, selling, and in the StatsComm section, profiting from data has developed Kevin McConway and over time and consider where it David Spiegelhalter offer might go next. It’s a story that spans tips to statisticians communicat- 200 years and features an eclectic ing through the media—a valuable and timely set cast of characters, from advertisers and social scien- of advice. tists to market researchers and statisticians. Of course, Significance is a publication in which Elsewhere in the April issue, Robert Matthews statisticians and data scientists can hone their com- reflects on the American Statistical Association’s munication skills. The aim of the magazine is to 2016 p-value statement, asking what—if any- demonstrate in an entertaining, thought-provoking, thing—has it achieved? In the five years since the and nontechnical way the practical use of statistics statement’s release, there have been debates and dis- in all walks of life and to show informatively and agreements, editorials and symposia, and a plethora authoritatively how statistics benefit society. Almost of ideas about how science could be changed for the all articles are written by statisticians eager to share better. But, argues Matthews, “The reality is that, their passion for statistics and explain their work— in terms of changing research practice, the ASA or the work of others—in a way that is accessible statement has achieved little. Yet the need for such and relatable to readers of different backgrounds. change has never been greater.” If you have an article idea you would like to dis- In the Perspectives section, Paul Allin and David cuss, send an email to [email protected]. You J. Hand make the case for change of a different sort, can also review notes for contributors at significance arguing that as societies look to “build back better” magazine.com/contribute. in the wake of coronavirus, official statistics should The April issue of Significance is available in take center change. “The COVID-19 pandemic is a print and online. ASA members can read the maga- testing time for statistics,” they write. “It is showing zine for free online by following the instructions at that single sources struggle to provide statistics that significancemagazine.com/654. n

may 2021 amstat news 9 CHANCE HIGHLIGHTS Spring Issue Features Economic Impact of COVID-19, Kullback’s Career, Sharing Data

Amanda Peterson-Plunkett, CHANCE Executive Editor

t has now been more than a year since SARS- CoV-2 began spreading across the globe. JSM 2021 Session Researchers understand the virus better, and CHANCE will host a session at the Joint vaccinesI are being distributed—but what do we Statistical Meetings in August, titled know about the effects the pandemic has had on our economy and society? Authors Jon T., Nicholas “The Stories of CHANCE: Frontiersman, B., and Thomas Middleton study this question as Exoneree, Player, Spy.” it pertains to the United Kingdom in the article, “Modeling the Economic and Societal Impact of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions During the to minimize the effect of these extraneous factors in COVID-19 Pandemic.” “Toward Reducing the Possibility of False Positive Keeping with the topic of COVID-19, we Results in Epidemiologic Studies of Traffic Crashes.” look at an application of Benford’s law, a tool that Listed as one of the 25 most-dangerous jobs has successfully been used in applications such in the US (based on 2019 data from the Bureau as detecting financial fraud and altering digital of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational images. In “Benford’s Law and COVID-19 Data,” Injuries), police work is not for the faint of heart. authors Chase Marchand and Dalton Maahs use it In “Police Officers Killed in the Line of Duty: A to analyze reported COVID-19 cases. Correspondence Analysis of Circumstances and In “The Secret Career of Solomon Kullback,” his- Time of Day,” Terry Allen investigates whether cer- torian Brenda McIntire details the US intelligence tain types of police activities are more dangerous at career of one of the developers of the Kullback- specific times of day. MORE ONLINE Leibler divergence. If you are intrigued by this arti- Moved by the 2018 attack on the Pittsburgh Tree Follow CHANCE cle, you may also enjoy the recent PBS special The of Life synagogue, Howard Wainer and Richard on Twitter Codebreaker featuring one of Kullback and Leibler’s Feinberg analyze data associated with hate crimes. @ChanceStatsMag. Submit articles at contemporaries, Elizabeth Friedman. In the Visual Revelations column article, “Looking https://bit.ly/39TsMxd. Societal benefits abound from sharing data and at Reported Hate Crimes,” they zero in on statistics machine learning models built on those data, but reported in New Jersey due to its uniqueness in hav- data have the potential to be biased, resulting in ing complete data going as far back as 1990. biased models. What are the possible repercussions? In The Big Picture column article, “The Shape Who should be held accountable? What methods of Things: Topological Data Analysis,” Nicole can be employed to avoid data bias? Charna Parkey Lazar and Hyunnam Ryu demonstrate the use of tackles these questions in “Who Is Accountable for topological techniques for exploratory data analy- Data Bias?” sis. If you work with complex data, this may be a In the February issue of CHANCE, we included technique to add to your toolbox. an article about the connection between road famil- Escape rooms aren’t just a social activity to iarity and traffic accidents. In this issue, authors enjoy with your friends. They can also be used in Adam Palayew, Sam Harper, and James Hanley the classroom to reinforce new concepts. In the consider a different angle on the topic of traffic Taking a Chance in the Classroom column article, accidents. They note the study of factors that influ- “The Data Science Instructional Escape Room: A ence accidents may be complicated by factors such Successful Experiment,” authors Valerie Nelson as the season, day of the week, and time of day of and Jason Crea explain their implementation of an the accident. The authors evaluate various methods escape room for a data science course. n

10 amstat news may 2021 Forget March Madness! Students Test Probability Skills with March Randomness

his year, the ASA’s outreach campaign ThisIsStatistics launched a new contest March Randomness Winners for its annual spring challenge: March Throughout the month, 214 student TRandomness, a month-long competition that teams competed with peers around encouraged middle- and high-school students the world. After 16 rounds of 24-hour and college undergraduates to test their proba- exercises over four weeks, the winning bility intuition skills. Inspired by the Borel board game, the inau- teams are as follows: gural March Randomness challenge invited stu- BEST PRE-COLLEGE TEAMS dents to predict outcomes of daily probability experi- FIRST PLACE: A Fraction Ahead, with ments. Every Monday Alaina Smith and Delfina Szigethy of through Thursday Mt. Lebanon High School, Pittsburgh, throughout March, Pennsylvania ThisIsStatistics SECOND PLACE: Elidia R, with Elidia Reyes posed a new experi- of Wayne High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana ment and asked students to predict the THIRD PLACE: Mathster’s Stupefying 1 outcome. For exam- Stars, with Molly, Miles, Stella, Trevor, ple, “Flip a coin four Roman, Talon, Sam, Patrick, Myles, times; will you get a head Beckley, Timothy, Will, Sarah, Reece, exactly once?” Laurel, Macy, and Sarah of Mariemont To keep things interesting, ThisIsStatistics Junior High School, Fairfax, Ohio also asked the students to back up their predic- tion with a wager from their stash of “StatCoins.” BEST UNDERGRADUATE TEAMS After the betting window closed the next day, FIRST PLACE: a celebrity statistician conducted the challenge SiegeChauffantDansLeMercobenz, with experiment and revealed the official outcome on video. Teams watched their fortunes shrink and Scott McGuigan, Alexis Morel, Clément grow on the leaderboard as they competed with Verdier, and Chloé Le Chevalier of peers in their school or division—or even just Université Grenoble Alpes, against themselves. Grenoble, France Celebrity statisticians included Christoforos SECOND PLACE: Rah Anagnostopoulos from Borel, Lucy D’Agostino Prof. Aliyev!, with Yang McGowan, Ellie Murray, Chris Franklin, Rob Santos, Wendy Martinez, John Bailer, Brittany Hsia, Nicolas Shier, and Greene, Glen Colopy, Kathy Ensor, Roger Zachary Branner of Peng, Jenny Green, Emily Butler, Eunice Virginia Military Institute, Kim, Eric Laber, Claire Bowen, and Ron Lexington City, Virginia Wasserstein. Watch them bring their personal THIRD PLACE: Rambler, style to the probability experiments at https://bit. with Charles Hwang of Loyola ly/3wNzYEP. To learn more about March Randomness, University, Chicago, Illinois visit https://thisisstatistics.org/march-randomness. n

may 2021 amstat news 11 MY ASA STORY James Cochran ASSOCIATE DEAN AND PROFESSOR

am the Rogers-Spivey Fellow and Professor of Statistics at the University of Alabama. I am also the associate dean for research for myI college. My research spans theory, methodology, and application. I joined the American Statistical Association soon after joining the faculty at Wright State James Cochran is associate dean for research, Rogers- University (WSU). My primary field of study to Spivey fellow, and professor of statistics at the University that point had been economics, but I was hired to of Alabama. He is also the editor of the Encyclopedia of teach introductory statistics, operations research, Operations Research and Management Science. and calculus to undergraduate business majors and MBA students. society. I also saw how the ASA could serve as a tool Although my education had prepared me well in pursuing my career goals (such as working with for using statistics, I did not feel prepared to teach colleagues in developing nations to resolve societal the subject and I joined the ASA in the hope of issues). I became involved with the ASA in several developing a better understanding of statistical ways: I have served on and chaired various ASA com- concepts and learning approaches to teaching mittees; served as an officer of various ASA sections; them effectively. and been involved with ASA public outreach, scientific freedom, human rights, and advocacy efforts. My ASA experiences and the friends I have made through these experiences have been highlights of my academic career, and selecting a single … the opportunity to help establish Statistics Without experience from these experiences is extremely difficult. However, if pressed, I would select the Borders [is] my most memorable and meaningful opportunity to help establish Statistics Without experience as an ASA member. Borders (SWB) as my most memorable and meaningful experience as an ASA member. After organizing workshops on making introductory statistics education more engaging and encouraging the application of statistics to societal issues in developing nations for several years, I I attended several local and regional ASA events began thinking about how to create a mechanism and quickly learned about all the ASA had to offer. for ASA members to get involved in the application After I left WSU to become the director of analytic of statistics to societal issues in developing nations. services for a large marketing research firm and I eventually discussed my ideas with ASA later entered the University of Cincinnati to pur- Executive Director Ron Wasserstein, who put me sue my PhD (in statistics and operations research), in touch with a group of three colleagues—Fritz I maintained my ASA membership. Scheuren, Gary Shapiro, and Steve Pierson (ASA After earning my PhD, I became active in the ASA Director of Science Policy)—who had begun because I saw how the ASA helped its members and working on a similar concept. These colleagues

12 amstat news may 2021 Photo courtesy of James Cochran James Cochran goes on a lion walk in South Africa. quickly invited me to join their effort as a co-chair with Gary. In shortly over a decade, SWB has become internationally recognized and grown to several hun- dred capable and earnest volunteers who take on dozens of projects each year—and has never accepted payment or remuneration of any kind (100% of all donations are used for SWB projects and are never used for payments or reimbursements). You can learn more about SWB at the organization’s website: https://swb.wildapricot.org. There, you can find out about past SWB projects, suggest potential clients and projects, and volunteer (you do not have to be an ASA member to join SWB). The work of this organization’s volunteers is uplifting and inspiring; whenever I feel anxious about the myriad political and societal problems we are facing, I visit the SWB website for affirma- tion of the basic goodness of people. In each of the past 36 years, I have reflect- ed on the value of my ASA membership when I receive my notice to renew. And every year, I quickly conclude that my ASA membership is a tremendous bargain. Without any deliberation, I Photo courtesy of James Cochran promptly renew. n James Cochran ‘volunteers’ to participate in a python Sukuma dance.

may 2021 amstat news 13 Photo courtesy of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Hadley Wickham, from RStudio, speaks at StatFest 2019. StatFest Back for 21st Year in 2021

inding people like yourself along the career science. Additionally, StatFest will feature opportu- path you desire can be intimidating during nities for attendees to network with other attendees the first years in higher education, especially and connect with institutions from academia, indus- whenF the household names in those places do not try, and the nonprofit sector. seem to have paths that match yours. It is common StatFest is an ongoing initiative of the American to be unsure where your vague major fits into grad- Statistical Association through its Committee on uate programs or the job market. However, answers Minorities in Statistics (CoMiS). The committee might be closer than you think. seeks to foster participation in statistics and data StatFest 2021 is a free conference over two half- science by historically under-represented minorities days aimed at encouraging BIPOC (Black, indig- and focuses much of its effort on two key programs: enous, people of color) undergraduates who have StatFest, a pathway program, and the Diversity quantitative interests to pursue careers or graduate Mentoring Program, an early-career success program. studies in the statistical and data sciences. StatFest is StatFest 2020 attendees appreciated the welcom- currently in its 21st year and will be held virtually for ing and informative environment; opportunity to the second year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. hear people’s stories and experiences; and ability to This year’s event will take place September 18–19. connect with graduate program directors, professors, During the conference, students will be inspired and graduate students from many campuses, based by a keynote address highlighting the speaker’s on feedback from the post-event survey. career trajectory and informed by engaging presen- While the conference is free, registration is tations and discussions that explore opportunities in required. Visit the StatFest website at https://bit. statistics and data science across government, aca- ly/2RkcEON for more information and to register. demia, industry, and the nonprofit sector. Students StatFest is made possible through the financial will also have an opportunity to engage in a candid support of the ASA and several academic and indus- Q&A with a graduate student panel that explores trial sponsors. If you have questions about StatFest, the life of a graduate student, navigating the appli- contact StatFest 2021 co-chairs Brittney Bailey cation process, and the steps to thriving as an aspir- at [email protected] or Therri Usher at therri. ing researcher. At the same time, professionals will [email protected]. If your organization is interest- come together to address issues related to promoting ed in supporting the event, contact Adrian Coles, diversity, equity, and inclusion in statistics and data CoMiS chair, at [email protected]. n

14 amstat news may 2021 Birth of an ASA Outreach Group: The Origins of JEDI

Jana Asher, Slippery Rock University, and Cathy Furlong, Statistics Without Borders

eaders of Amstat News are undoubtedly aware of the myriad communities operating Working Group Members under the umbrella of the American RStatistical Association: Brittany Terese Fasy, Leslie McClure, Mark Daniel Ward, Gabriel Huerta, Renee Moore, • Committees – work on initiatives important Monica Jackson, David Hunter, Jo Hardin, to the strategic goal of the ASA or the professional visibility of the ASA Gretchen Martinet, Gretchen Falk, Julia Sharp, Rebecca Nichols (ASA staff), Donna • Sections – focus on a specific methodology or LaLonde (ASA staff) application of statistical science • Interest Groups – serve a similar purpose as sections but are less formal In January of 2019, the working group began with • Chapters – serve members of specific regions a broad charge: to identify mechanisms to support diversity initiatives led by ASA members. Two main • Student Chapters – operate within a college initiatives arose out of their early discussion: 1) to or university develop a consortium with other professional societies • Outreach Groups – support a common inter- that would focus on increasing diversity and 2) to cre- est of ASA members that is not well addressed ate a single repository of opportunities—a “one-stop by the formal structure for a section or a shop” for aspiring statisticians from all backgrounds. chapter The consortium idea was a recognition that many existing organizations in mathematics and However, many readers probably do not know statistics and across the scientific fields already had the work involved to establish one of these groups. initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The story of the Justice, Equality, Diversity, and They focused original outreach on three primary Inclusion Outreach Group (JEDI) begins with organizations: Math Alliance (mathalliance.org), Karen Kafadar during her year as ASA president- National Association of Mathematicians (NAM, elect in 2018. By tradition, each ASA president www.nam-math.org), and Society for Advancement establishes several presidential initiatives, and of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans Kafadar wished to build her initiatives in the spirit in Science (SACNAS, sacnas.org). At the time, of Barry Nussbaum’s successful presidential initia- SACNAS was going through a leadership change, tive to engage Asian statisticians through Asian but representatives from the Math Alliance and statistical societies. Kafadar knew she wanted to NAM met with the task force in November of 2019 increase diversity within the ASA and asked Julia to begin discussing how to make such a consortium Sharp to lead the initiative in late 2018. a reality. Sharp, who was finishing her term on the ASA The working group was simultaneously explor- Board of Directors in 2019, had been outspoken ing the idea of a repository of information on exist- about her belief that diversity, equity, and inclu- ing initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion were important issues within the statistics sion and information of interest to marginalized field. Together, Sharp, ASA Director of Strategic members of the statistics community. The original Initiatives and Outreach Donna LaLonde, ASA idea was that grants, research opportunities, fund- Executive Director Ron Wasserstein, and Kafadar ing for travel, and internships would all be posted in assembled a team that became the Diversity the repository. The members of the working group Working Group. began developing a Google sheet to list links to

may 2021 amstat news 15 these resources and exploring how to create a more willing to run in an election for either chair or chair- robust platform to house this “one-stop shop.” elect later that year. At first, she was confused by the All this was progress toward creating a more just request. Sellers was active in several organizations environment in the statistics profession, but the work- pursing diversity-related initiatives and was aware ing group was not designed to be a long-term body of the ASA Anti-Racism Task Force. She requested a within the ASA. In October of 2019, at the Women Zoom meeting to discuss what JEDI was and what in Statistics and Data Science Conference, individuals she could contribute to the effort. interested in diversity, equity, and inclusion met for Sellers, Sharp, and LaLonde met two days a lunch meeting, during which the idea of an ASA later. Sellers requested the chair position to be two Special Interest Group (SIG) specifically focused on years long to allow enough time to create a strong diversity, equity, and inclusion arose. Participants infrastructure and for elections to be postponed at that meeting included Suzanne Thornton, Jack a year. She pointed out that the JEDI Executive Miller, Tami Massie, Saki Kinney, and LaLonde. Committee was trying to organize elections by the By early 2020, the group—which included both end of the calendar year and there wasn’t enough task force members and other interested parties— time to build a good slate of candidates or get the began drafting a charter for the proposed SIG. In word out to the general ASA membership. late spring of 2020, as COVID began shutting down Sharp and LaLonde brought Sellers’s ideas back to travel, they reached out to ASA members through the executive committee and they arranged to meet ASA Connect with a petition to start the SIG and with Sellers in November. After further discussion, discussed the idea with the ASA Council of Sections. Sellers and the executive committee members decid- The ASA Council of Sections suggested they con- ed the executive committee would serve as the inter- sider forming an ASA Outreach Group instead. im leadership for JEDI for 2021, allowing enough At this time, Sharp’s role as leader of the work- time for an election to occur in 2022. Sellers would ing group led to her becoming the interim leader serve as chair and Sharp would serve as past chair for of the new outreach group, which decided it would 2021 and 2022. Members of the executive commit- be called the JEDI Outreach Group (JEDI OG), tee would serve as chairs for five organizing com- to represent justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. mittees: Programming, Students, Communications, With a revised charter and a petition with about 80 Liaison, and Professional Development. signatures, the group petitioned the ASA Board of In early 2021, JEDI went “live” by asking every- Directors for official status and was approved dur- one who had expressed interest or been nominated ing the July 2020 meeting. for a leadership role to become part of the leader- The work of setting up the outreach group was ship team—that is, become members of these five just beginning. Those who had worked to make the committees that would develop the structured activ- JEDI OG a reality knew they would need much ities of the outreach group. As a result, about 40 more assistance to make the group an effective agent individuals are serving either as part of the interim for change. They became the executive committee executive committee or on one of the five organiz- of JEDI and scheduled several meetings to discuss ing committees. In the past several months, each how the leadership of the group would be struc- of the organizing committees has met several times tured and refine the charter and goals of the group. and is on the way to accomplishing its goals. Following the 2020 Women in Statistics and The program committee, chaired by Gretchen Data Science Conference, the group’s first public Martinet, determines programming such as webi- meeting occurred, during which they announced nars that will involve and support JEDI OG mem- they were soliciting nominations for leadership bers and the broader community. JEDI is already positions. They then sent out a Google form to listed among the sponsoring organizations for con- everyone who expressed interest in JEDI through tributed abstracts at the Joint Statistical Meetings signing the petition or attending the meeting fol- in 2021. JEDI will also host a panel discussion at lowing WSDS to allow nominations to be made. JSM titled, “Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion At this point in the story, Kimberly Sellers, a (JEDI) in the ASA.” The program committee is professor at Georgetown University, entered the starting to plan an invited session for JSM 2022. picture. She was unknowingly nominated for chair On a smaller scale, the program committee is dis- of JEDI, so she was surprised when she received an cussing the organization of an ongoing contributed email on October 14, 2020, asking if she would be presentation series with annual local meetings.

16 amstat news may 2021 The student committee, chaired by Mark Ward, focuses on how JEDI can connect stu- DCAST dents with resources from related organizations PO MORE ABOUT to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the JEDI profession. The committee also plans to work JEDI chair Kim Sellers with universities on JEDI principles by teaching and past chair Julia university staff how to work with diverse students Sharp appeared on the and teaching students how advocate for students’ ASA podcast, Practical diverse needs. The committee is also working to Significance, to discuss the develop a list of scholarships for minorities in data science and statistics. In addition, the student scope and mission of the committee will be working to make connections PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE group. Listen in at https:// with ASA student chapters. bit.ly/2Qershi or on your The communications committee, chaired by favorite podcast service. Thornton, focuses on how to interface with the larger community through social media and the JEDI website. So far, the team has created Twitter (twitter.com/DataSciJedi), Instagram (instagram. It took three years to go from Kafadar’s desire to com/datascijedi), Facebook (https://bit.ly/3wQSJXO), see an initiative related to diversity to the vibrant and LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/3sb63D0) pages for the collaboration of 40 individuals working to make the JEDI OG. The committee is starting to generate JEDI OG a reality. Because JEDI is concerned with more original content for social networking posts all issues related to justice, equity, diversity, and and develop an online network of related organiza- inclusion, it serves as a clearinghouse for the work tions. In addition to hosting a JEDI logo contest, of committees such as the Committee on Minorities the committee will develop a brief column to be in Statistics, Committee on Statistics and Disability, published in Amstat News every other month. Committee on Women in Statistics, Committee on The liaison committee, chaired by Dooti Roy, LGBTQ+ Advocacy, Committee on International continues the original task force’s effort to establish Relations in Statistics, and Committee on Scientific a consortium of professional societies interested Freedom and Human Rights. While each of these in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the statistical groups advocates for their specific population, JEDI sciences and related STEM fields. The committee recognizes the commonalities across efforts to make is currently working to establish its own roles and our profession more inclusive for all members and responsibilities along with researching and devel- to strengthen the bonds between those groups to oping lists of the ways other ASA committees and allow better movement toward equity. non-ASA organizations are working toward justice, As Sellers points out, “In the end, everyone equality, diversity, and inclusion goals. The com- wants to be seen, heard, recognized, and acknowl- mittee is looking into appropriate conferences to edged. The larger problem we face is the notion engage in related to the JEDI’s mission and vision. of a hierarchical structure in our society, and the Finally, the professional development com- perception of an associated ‘rank ordering’ system mittee, chaired by Leslie McClure, works on the that infers one person and/or their ideas as being original task force’s repository of resources related more important than another.” She has witnessed to opportunities within the profession, as well as these sorts of thought processes spread throughout developing programming related directly to pro- the statistics community in myriad ways, much to fessional development. Currently, the commit- our detriment, whether they relate to beliefs associ- tee is working with the Committee on Funded ated with persons from under-represented popula- Research on a webinar and considering other tions or opinions regarding potential career paths ASA groups that might be interested in partner- for budding statisticians and data scientists. JEDI ing with the JEDI OG for webinars. The com- strives to be part of the solution to these inequities mittee’s goal is to implement three webinars this within the statistics profession. year. The committee is also considering different The first general body meeting of JEDI will approaches to partnering with and implementing occur at or around the same time as the Joint mentoring programs. Statistical Meetings this year. n

may 2021 amstat news 17 2021 COPSS AWARD WINNERS

The Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies (COPSS) presents awards annually to honor statisticians who have made outstanding contributions to the profession. For 2021, the new leadership academy winners have been selected in addition to the Distinguished Lecture, the F.N. David Lecture, and the Snedecor. All of the awards will be presented at the Joint Statistical Meetings by COPSS Chair Bhramar Mukherjee and the award committee members.

The ASA recently EMMA BENN CLAIRE BOWEN TAMARA BRODERICK made the decision Associate Professor Lead Data Scientist Associate Professor to hold JSM virtually. Department of Population Privacy and Security Department of Electrical Please view the JSM Health Science and Policy Urban Institute Engineering and website at ww2. Icahn School of Medicine Computer Science amstat.org/meetings/ For contributions to the jsm/2021 for updates at Mount Sinai development and broad MIT to programming, For unmatched dedication dissemination of statistics For significant dates, and times. to increasing diversity in and data science methods contributions to Bayesian the statistical sciences; for and concepts, particularly nonparametrics and outstanding contributions in the emerging field machine learning. to health disparities of data privacy, and for research; and for significant leadership of technical contributions to educating initiatives, professional the next generation of development activities, clinical and statistical and educational programs. scientists.

18 amstat news may 2021 STEPHANIE HICKS Assistant Professor Department of Biostatistics JONAS PETERS JEFF GOLDSMITH Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Professor of Statistics Associate Professor School of Public Health University of Copenhagen Department of For notable contributions For path-breaking Biostatistics to the analysis of contributions to Columbia University high-throughput and statistical issues in Mailman School single cell methods and connection with of Public Health data analysis and for causality research; For exemplary leadership significant educational, for an extraordinary in teaching and training mentoring, and outreach active role in research students in biostatistics, efforts to expand and dissemination; and for data science, and diversify the community outstanding inspiration public health. of data scientists. of junior researchers.

AADITYA RAMDAS ALISA LINGZHOU XUE Assistant Professor STEPHENS-SHIELDS Associate Professor of Department of Statistics Assistant Professor of Statistics and Data Science Biostatistics Department of Statistics Carnegie Mellon University Department of The Pennsylvania State Machine Learning Biostatistics, Epidemiology, University Department and Informatics For his innovative For significant University of Pennsylvania contributions to the contributions to sequential of Medicine theory and methodology nonparametric inference, For exemplary leadership of high-dimensional uncertainty quantification in interdisciplinary statistics and statistical in machine learning, and collaboration; for learning and for his statistical methods for contributions to education outstanding and prolific reproducibility, as well as in causal inference; and service to the profession the development of an for dedicated effort to and to society. array of unique courses increasing the pipeline and tutorials, along with of talented students into extensive mentorship and the profession. outreach activities.

may 2021 amstat news 19 Wing Hung Wong to Deliver 2021 COPSS Distinguished Lecture Wong’s Research Includes Mathematical Statistics, Bayesian Statistics, and Computational Biology

Daniela Witten, Award Committee Chair

OPSS has selected Wing Hung Wong to be the recipient of the 2021 Awards Committee CCOPSS Distinguished Rebecca Doerge , ASA Achievement Award and Daniela Witten, Lectureship (DAAL). COPSS (Chair) Wong serves on the faculty of Stanford University, where he Debashis Ghosh, ENAR is professor of statistics, profes- Tony Cai, IMS sor of biomedical data science, and holder of the Stephen R. Rob Deardon SSC Pierce Family Goldman Sachs Barbara Bailey WNAR Professorship in Science and Human Health. Before joining Alice S. Whittemore, Stanford in 2004, he held teach- 2015 Awardee ing positions at The University of Wing Hung Wong Chicago, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of California at Los Angeles, and was elected to the National information about the underly- Harvard University. He chaired Academy of Sciences in 2009 ing biological processes relevant the Stanford Department of and Academia Sinica in 2010. to the trait. Wong will argue that Statistics from 2009–2012. He was a founding member of the integration of gene regulatory Wong’s research contributions the Hong Kong Academy of information is critical to achiev- include mathematical statistics, Sciences in 2015. ing a better understanding of where he clarified the large sam- As the recipient of the 2021 these genotype-phenotype rela- ple properties of sieve maximum COPSS DAAL, Wong will give a tions. He will review research by likelihood estimates in general talk at the 2021 Joint Statistical his lab and others on the infer- spaces; Bayesian statistics, where Meetings, “Understanding ence of context-specific gene reg- he introduced sampling-based Human Trait Variation from ulatory relations based on bulk algorithms into Bayesian com- the Gene Regulatory Systems or single cell data from diverse putational inference; and com- Perspective.” Genome-wide asso- cell types, tissue types, and devel- putational biology, where he ciation studies have shown suc- opmental contexts. He will also developed tools for the analysis cess in identifying genetic loci describe his lab’s ongoing efforts of microarrays and sequencing relevant to a number of human to exploit this information to data and applied them to study traits such as disease susceptibil- build multilayer statistical mod- gene regulatory systems. ity and anthropometric features. els capable of providing a more In 1993, Wong won the However, such direct statisti- mechanistic understanding of COPSS Presidents’ Award. He cal associations provide limited human trait variation. n

20 amstat news may 2021 Alicia Carriquiry to Deliver 2021 F.N. David Lecture COPSS Recognizes Researcher’s Cutting-Edge Career in Applied Statistics and Forensics

Nancy Gordon, Award Committee Chair, and Daniel Nettleton, Iowa State University

OPSS has selected Alicia and animal genetics from Iowa Carriquiry, President’s State University. She joined the Chair in Statistics at Iowa State faculty in 1990 and IowaC State University, to be the has held various leadership roles 2021 COPSS Florence at the university. Nightingale David Award and As the first female faculty Lectureship winner. Carriquiry member promoted to full pro- will receive the award during the fessor in the department of sta- 2021 Joint Statistical Meetings, tistics at Iowa State University, where she will also deliver the Carriquiry continues to advo- F.N. David Lecture, “Statistics in cate for female and early-career the Pursuit of Justice: A More faculty by providing them with Principled Strategy to Analyze opportunities for success. The Forensic Evidence.” department now has 15 other The F.N. David Award, spon- female faculty members who sored jointly by COPSS and the have benefited from the path Alicia Carriquiry Caucus for Women in Statistics, Carriquiry blazed and her sub- recognizes Carriquiry for her con- sequent advocacy and support. tributions to the profession that Carriquiry is a fellow of sever- have spanned more than 30 years. Excellence. With more than al statistical associations, includ- Carriquiry researches appli- 80 researchers from across six ing the American Statistical cations of statistics in human universities, CSAFE is devel- Association, International nutrition, bioinformatics, oping statistically sound and Statistical Institute, Institute forensic science, and traffic scientifically solid methods to of Mathematical Statistics, safety and has published more analyze and interpret evidence, and International Society for than 140 peer-reviewed arti- providing the forensic commu- Bayesian Analysis. She is an cles in academic journals. She nity with accessible tools, open- elected member of the National has worked with various gov- source databases, and educa- Academy of Medicine and a fel- ernment and health agencies tional opportunities. low of the American Association around the world to improve Carriquiry has published for the Advancement of Science. health and nutrition, including cutting-edge work on source She joined the Intelligence the National Center for Health matching for bullet mark- Science and Technology Statistics, National Institutes of ings, glass fragments, footwear Experts Group of the National Health, European Union, and impressions, and handwriting Academies of Sciences, World Health Organization. analysis. Her work potentially Engineering, and Medicine. For the past six years, could have a significant and In 2018, Carriquiry became Carriquiry has been the direc- beneficial impact on the US a technical adviser for the tor of the Center for Statistics criminal justice system. Association of Firearm and Tool and Applications in Forensic Carriquiry earned a master’s Mark Examiners and, in 2020, Evidence (CSAFE), a National degree in animal science from the was elected an associate mem- Institute of Standards and University of Illinois and a mas- ber of the American Academy Technology (NIST) Center for ter’s and doctorate in statistics of Forensic Sciences. n

may 2021 amstat news 21 David Dunson Named George W. Snedecor Award Winner Kerrie Mengersen, Award Committee Chair, and Sudipto Banerjee, University of California at Los Angeles

OPSS has selected David impressive novelty in theory, B. Dunson, arts and sci- methods, and computation. ences distinguished pro- A particularly appealing exam- fessorC in the department of statisti- ple in biometry presented in the cal sciences at Duke University, to paper applies c-Bayes for robust be the recipient of the 2021 clustering in flow cytometry—a George W. Snedecor Award. high-throughput technology for The G.W. Snedecor award, detecting and measuring physical established in 1976, honors an and chemical characteristics of a individual who was instrumen- population of cells or particles. tal in the development of sta- Traditionally, this clustering is tistical theory in biometry and performed manually by defin- recognizes a noteworthy publi- ing piecewise linear boundaries cation within three years of the between regions using one of sev- date of the award. The award, David B. Dunson eral automated clustering algo- given biennially (odd years) since rithms. One key challenge here is 1991, consists of a plaque and frameworks, stochastic process that the populations are not well- cash honorarium of $2,000 and models, and computational algo- approximated by any paramet- is presented at the Joint Statistical rithms for the complex and high- ric distribution and the number Meetings. The recognized publi- dimensional data generated in sci- of populations is not known in cation is the following: entific laboratories across a variety advance. Miller and Dunson demonstrate the substantial inferential Miller, J.W., and D.B. Dunson. of scientific disciplines. advantages of c-Bayes over non- 2019. Robust Bayesian inference In the recognized publication, Miller and Dunson offer parametric Bayesian models such via coarsening. Journal of the as mixtures of Gaussian distribu- American Statistical Associa- an innovative and fundamentally different approach to Bayesian tions and other alternatives. tion 114:1113–1125. https://bit. It is worth pointing out that the ly/2Q4CcyZ inference based on the idea of “coarsening” and referred to as manuscript has garnered close to Dunson has maintained an “c-Bayes.” Briefly, rather than 100 citations in the two years since astounding research portfolio conducting inference based on its publication. This is a remark- throughout his career, with more the usual posterior distribu- able achievement for an article than 400 peer-reviewed scholarly tion of the parameter’s condi- focusing on statistical theory and manuscripts appearing in leading tional on the event the data has methods and is a further testament journals. He is also a co-author on been generated from a posited to the impact and relevance of this a leading textbook on Bayesian model, c-Bayes conditions on research. Several papers primarily statistical science. Interpreting the the model-generated data being authored by biologists and scien- field of biometry in the broader a sufficiently close approxima- tists engaged in a variety of data- sense as that of quantitative meth- tion to the observed data. Miller intensive health-oriented research ods in biological and health sci- and Dunson’s c-Bayes approach are also taking note of c-Bayes. ences, about 120 of Dunson’s has proven particularly potent in Based on Dunson’s over- papers in the top echelon of jour- consolidating robustness of infer- all career contributions to the nals in our profession have been ence against perturbations from advancement of statistical theory directly instrumental in advanc- misspecified and dubious model- in biometry and, more specifi- ing statistical theory related to ing assumptions. The manuscript cally, his stimulating and highly biometry. His scholarly manu- adeptly elucidates the underlying innovative research manuscript, scripts, without exception, tackle theoretical issues surrounding the conferral of the 2021 George the many challenging curiosities bias, calibration, measurement W. Snedecor Award on this out- in modern science by developing error, over-dispersion, and over- standing scholar is deemed to be theoretically rigorous statistical fitting. Miller and Dunson offer richly deserved. n

22 amstat news may 2021 A Story of COVID-19, Mentoring, and West Virginia

Photo courtesy of WVU Brad Price leads a Joint Interagency Task Force meeting for COVID-19.

s we grapple with strategies for recruiting and master’s of business data analytics (BUDA) pro- retaining statistics and—more recently— gram, which culminates with a capstone experi- data science undergraduates, we are increas- ence centered on experiential data analytics prob- inglyA aware of how mentoring (a ‘soft skill’) helps in lems. The program has already produced alumni the process. At West Virginia University, we are instrumental in helping create a program now keeping this in mind as the Eberly College of Arts called Data Driven WV. and Sciences’ newly approved BS in data science pro- Jim Harner, who was the chair of statistics for gram welcomes students in Fall 2021. 17 years, helped Chambers College start the BUDA Photo by Tim Banks The major is designed, as at other universi- program as an emeritus faculty. For five years, he ties, with core coursework in mathematics, sta- also taught the ethics and data collection course that Snehalata Huzurbazar spent 22 years in the tistics, and computer science as prerequisites for covered data science technologies and workflows. statistics department the newly created data science courses so students He not only played a key role in the alumni’s edu- at the University of learn theory and methodology as they work on cation and experience, but he was one of the key Wyoming; she was on applications. Students will also choose coursework mentors in the professional lives of Brad Price, now leave from 2012–2014 in a subject-matter discipline (the ‘science’) for an assistant professor in the BUDA program, and when she was the deputy director of SAMSI. In their individual specialization. Katherine Kopp, a 2020 graduate of the program 2017, she moved to WVU But one of the big questions is, “What might and now the director of Data Driven WV. to chair the biostatistics attract high-school students to data science in the As the pandemic started in 2020, Price and department and, in July first place?” Just as medical school applications Kopp, using Data Driven WV as a vehicle, worked 2020, she moved to lead saw a spike popularly called the “Fauci effect,” with the Joint Interagency Task Force in WV to the development of the will the role of data scientists in helping with the predict facility-level personal protective equip- data science program at WVU. In 2004–2005, she pandemic response at local and state levels lead to ment (PPE) needs in West Virginia (see https:// served on the ASA Task a similar outcome? bit.ly/3s6xDkN). Later, they were asked by the Force on Nurturing and This is a story of how data scientists have West Virginia National Guard and West Virginia Mentoring. She is a fellow helped with different aspects of the COVID-19 Department of Health and Human Resources to of the ASA. response in West Virginia and how one key men- build an inventory management system for vac- tor played a role in this. cine supply (see https://bit.ly/2Qc4k37). These data In 2016, the WVU John Chambers College of science contributions were key in getting West Business and Economics implemented an online Virginia an early start in vaccinating its population.

may 2021 amstat news 23 has been a key player in creating data science tools (built with RStudio) to accelerate the West Virginia response to COVID-19 mentioned above. Kopp, a former student of Price and Harner, is excited to lead a program that supports the prosperity and health of the state’s economy and people through targeted outreach, education, and research while serving as a learning lab for the next generation of data scientists and analytics professionals. Much of the program’s success can be attributed to mentorship. Faculty, staff, and alumni mentor current students, helping them learn technical skills and tools needed for specific projects while developing business skills through client communications. About 30 years ago, when I was a graduate student in statistics at Colorado State University, my first assistantship for two years was in a student services office, where I was hired to start the Minority Mentoring Program. I have thought about this more recently. I am somewhat amazed that mentoring was such a new idea back then, that they trusted or thought all they needed was a 20-something graduate student whose primary motivation was to find an assistantship to finance her graduate education. Though I learned a lot, it has taken me years to

Photo by Brad Price fully understand that mentoring is something that Brad Price and director of Data Driven WV Katherine Kopp lead a program doesn’t always happen, that we need to cultivate it that supports the prosperity and health of the state’s economy and people. and it takes time that is not really accounted for in our annual updates. Now, there is a much larger literature on these topics, but we often do not have For Price, this was hardly what he imagined he labs or fieldwork sites where we can naturally men- could do with his interest in being a math major tor the next generation of statisticians and data sci- when he came to WVU as a sophomore transfer entists; we need to be more deliberate about it. student in 2006. He did not know what statistics I am a recent (2017) arrival to West Virginia. If was, but a chance meeting with Harner early in it were not for the pandemic, I would have left in 2006 changed that. As Price describes the encoun- 2020. The pandemic has been rough, but this story ter, “Jim took me into his office and told me how of a small group of statisticians and data scientists statistics was the field to be in. He spent a lot of and their effect on a state’s success is wonderfully time explaining why I needed to major in statistics, positive. By Spring 2020, as the pandemic intensi- how it was the intersection of technology, math, fied and I was not certain I was ready to move to a and problem solving with data. Two hours later, I position I had accepted across the country, Harner was registering for classes in the major.” was one of the people who convinced me to stay at A bit later in Price’s coursework, Mark Culp, WVU and work on creating an undergraduate data then an assistant professor in statistics, mentored science major in the Eberly College. He put me in Price as his undergraduate research and teaching touch with Price, who helped greatly. We are cur- assistant and advised him to pursue graduate school. rently hiring faculty and recruiting students from Price credits both Culp and Harner with preparing diverse backgrounds so they also get exposure to him for success in graduate school and beyond; he projects and mentors from Data Driven WV by the earned his PhD from the University of Minnesota time they are seniors. School of Statistics, where he worked with Adam All stories should have happy endings, but Rothman and Charlie Geyer on developing new there is a sad one to this story. Harner contracted methods in computational statistics, including the COVID-19 about 10 days before he was scheduled software needed for broader impact. to be vaccinated and passed away February 9, the Later, Harner played a role in getting Price day before the WVU Board of Governors approved to apply for his current position in BUDA, and the data science major. The irony is heart-breaking because of these and other statisticians, as well as as Price and Kopp continue their work with the his desire to serve his native West Virginia, Price WV vaccine inventory managment system. n

24 amstat news may 2021 columns

STATtr@k On the Data Frontline: Biostatisticians in the Hospital Research Setting

OVID-19 has thrust clinical health care workers across the globe to the frontlines Panelists of their respective institutions and com- Cmunities since March 2020. The last 13 months Meredith Regan have also shed light on another genre of health ScD, 1998, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, care worker—one whose training and focus is … Harvard Medical School well … more quantitative. The biostatistician working in the hospi- Research: cancer studies and clinical trials, tal research setting is in clear focus and high lab and clinical work analysis, translational demand of late, during a time when clinical Erin Lake is instructor research of biostatistics, co- research teams and institutions pursue knowl- Christine Ulysse director of the master’s edge and information from data. in biostatistics program, The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has indeed been a SM, 2017, Massachusetts General Hospital and director of student driver behind the need for individuals with such development in Research: Acute Respiratory Distress training. However, long before the coronavirus the department of unleashed its impact on the world, biostatisticians Syndrome (ARDS), cancer clinical trials, biostatistics at the Parkinson’s disease Harvard T.H. Chan School in hospital research settings held critical roles as of Public Health. She co- independent researchers and cross-disciplinary Nathan Hall authors methodological team members, consistently interfacing with cli- and applied studies on nicians, administrators, and other scientists. SM, 2018, Massachusetts Ear and Eye topics ranging from Such biostatisticians study acute, chronic, nonlinear effects and Research: ophthalmology, consulting machine learning to and emerging diseases—along with other medi- Steven Staffa mental health and cal and public health issues—through the lenses COVID-19, mentors more of missing data methods, adaptive clinical trials, SM, 2016, Boston Children’s Hospital than 10 thesis students Bayesian designs, machine learning approaches, a year, and teaches and more. Biostatisticians in this setting focus Research: pediatric anesthesia and surgery, core curriculum. She on topics including hereditary, deficiency, com- clinical trials, translational research, developed the Career consulting Development Series municable and physiological diseases, mental to expose students to health, drug development, injury, pregnancy and Tanayott (Tony) Thaweethai opportunities afforded perinatal health, methods for working with EHR by their training and data, and health policy. PhD, 2020, Massachusetts General facilitate a knowledge- The statistician is often the researcher closest Hospital, Harvard Medical School experience continuum to a patient’s vital study details, the mind behind involving students, Research: COVID-19, observational alumni, faculty, and a study design, and the discerner of overarching studies, missing data, electronic health professionals in the field. patterns in any data collected, as well as over- seer of all details in between. The statistician is records, diabetes and hypertension during almost always the first to uncover the inevitable pregnancy, consulting and oftentimes personal story told by the data. Decidedly, the biostatistician in the hospital research setting is on the data frontline. In mid-February of 2021, the Harvard Nathan Hall joined an audience of nearly 40 Department of Biostatistics welcomed a panel graduate students comprised of both PhD and of five department alumni working in hospi- master’s degree candidates in biostatistics. tal research settings back to the Harvard T.H. Fair game topics included the array of exist- Chan School of Public Health (virtually) to ing opportunities in the hospital career setting, share with students via the department’s Career caveats and myths around such roles, research Development Series. Meredith Regan, Tanayott topics and challenges, career advice, mentoring Thaweethai, Christine Ulysse, Steven Staffa, and and work environment, critical skills, preferred

may 2021 amstat news 25 columns

Steven Staffa, Erin Lake, Nathan Hall, Christine Ulysse, Meredith Regan, and Tanayott Thaweethai joined an audience of nearly 40 graduate students comprised of both PhD and master’s degree candidates in biostatistics to discuss statisticians working in hospital research settings.

programming languages, criteria around pro- “Also, differences between master’s and PhD roles motions, tenure versus research track, work-life vary by institution/group and environment and balance, teaching options, service aspects, and may consist more of research support versus involvement in the field beyond one’s institu- developing and applying methodology, but most tion. Salient themes around hospital research set- start out with a lot of support along the learning ting roles that emerged from the discussion are curve of a new role,” shared Ulysse. summarized below. There are also teaching opportunities in many Methods are driven by real-world problems. institutions—both in and out of the classroom, as How do you turn someone’s scientific or clini- well as opportunities for service. cal question into a statistical question, and then either develop methodology or find methods Communication and translation are key to answer it? Research in this setting is organic, skills. “Listening and translating clinical/policy/ original, driven by real-world medical and public basic science concepts into actionable statistical health challenges, and incredibly collabora- methods and coding are invaluable skills in this tive in application. The guests concurred there setting,” offered Hall. “Being able to clearly comis nothing boilerplate about their work and it municate results, both verbally and in writing, requires strong listening skills to figure out what back to nonstatisticians is critical.” the questions are, where the gaps in knowledge The guests agreed these are often skills not and information are, and where the best method- directly taught in school—how to ask the most ological solution might be found. meaningful questions and being okay out of “I have been faced with really challenging statisti- your comfort zone when it comes to clinical cal methodology questions that have required a domain expertise. significant amount of original research—nothing “We all practiced methods using homework or has been trivial,’ exclaimed Thaweethai. “Every project data sets, but how to actually plan and study has its own quirks that require different design a real-world study is another journey statistical strategies and perspective.” altogether, and if you can gain even a brush with Environment and mentoring matter. Knowing this experience while still in school, it will prove the environment you will be working in is critical. helpful,” said Regan. Is it supportive and mentoring? Look for good “Applying methods learned in school to real- mentors and be ready to both mentor and be world analysis while still in school via an intern- mentored in your role. ship or research project has huge value,” said Hall.

26 amstat news may 2021 columns

“Get involved in collaborative research or consulting while in school. Go beyond your dissertation or thesis,” suggested Staffa. “There is always so much new out there to grasp “ What will you want to be known for in 30 and master,” exclaimed Ulysse.

You can usually use your favorite program- years?” Nothing helped me think through ming language/software. The panelists concurred that they are each free to employ my wishes and future as much as that simple whatever languages and software they feel most comfortable with and they are always provided question from my adviser many years ago. and supported by their institutions. R, SAS, SQL, Stata, and R Shiny were reported as favorites, with the use of one or two of these varying — Meredith Regan by individual. Each guest admitted flexible, opportunistic use of their respective favorite programming languages to achieve different goals. Several noted it was helpful to have been a teaching assistant as a student, since it often The panelists noted that seeing how an applicant requires learning a language/software other than turns code for a class assignment into a clear that used in one’s own dissertation/thesis or presentation, or simply how they organize their courses. Such familiarity becomes helpful when code in general, is helpful in understanding an a coinvestigator is only familiar with SAS or Stata, applicant’s strengths. Why? “Studies never go say, and the biostatistician is consulted. away,” noted Regan. The need to write strong, organized, anno- Work-life balance is generally good. Consen- tated code that can be followed by multiple team sus across the panel was that work-life balance members, along with files and directories, is crit- is generally quite good. Work can at times come ical to maintaining the clarity and integrity of a in spurts around grant deadlines for instance, or study over time, according to several panelists. … when a pandemic hits. Several reported it is When asked for their final words of wisdom, harder to put work down of late due to working all the panelists pointed toward finding what it is remotely during COVID times, but this is not re- you most want to focus on and what most excites flective of only hospital settings. One pet-peeve and inspires you. shared: Physicians sometimes want to meet at “What will you want to be known for in 30 6:30 a.m.! years,” asked Regan, quoting a mentor of her own at the start of her career more than 20 years ago. Communication and coding skills are impor- “I knew that I wanted to have a very direct con- tant when applying for a job. The five panel- tribution to changing the care for patients. This ists strongly encouraged meeting and learning was very helpful for me in choosing a medical about the people—one’s potential colleagues— center research setting, where I could collaborate during the application and interview process. “It with inspiring colleagues and work on teams with is not just that you want them to like you—you a shared goal. Nothing helped me think through need to feel you will flourish there,” said Staffa. my wishes and future as much as that simple question from my adviser many years ago.” Now on the hiring side, the panelists shared that “Think about the way that you want to use employers are looking for applicants to demon- biostatistics to help better the world,” shared strate strong statistical skills but also great com- Thaweethai. munications skills. Many ask for code samples “The need for developing novel methods and writing samples before the interview stage. abounds, then applying these methods and ulti- Creating a portfolio on GitHub is helpful as a mately changing the course for patients,” offered means for displaying course projects, research, or Regan. “If you are inspired by this goal, moved by internship results and can be linked directly from collaborating with a dedicated team toward such, one’s résumé or cover letter. then a hospital research setting is for you.” n

may 2021 amstat news 27 columns

STATS4GOOD Education Advocacy: Bending the ‘Moral Arc of the Universe’ with Data for Good

ducation advocacy has a special place in Data for Good, partly for addressing such an Get Involved important issue and also for how it builds theE future. Martin Luther King Jr. often said, “The In opportunities this month, check arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends out this and other Gear Up programs toward justice.” Education is one of the most potent from the Department of Education. forces bending the arc of history toward justice, Found across the country, these making education advocacy one of the most programs have the common vision impactful areas of Data for Good. of starting early to support students With a PhD in statistical Educational advocacy also holds a special sig- in their journey toward completing a astrophysics, nificance to me as the subject of one of my first college education. Managed by state David Corliss is lead, research projects—“now-casting” the number of Industrial Business educational agencies, partnerships homeless students by state using several years of Analytics, and manager, with independent organizations often retrospective reports, enabling program manag- Data Science Center of play an important role. This creates Excellence, Stellantis. He ers to base their projects on the situation on the serves on the steering ground instead of data from several years before. a wide variety of opportunities for committee for the Education is such a multidimensional area that analytic support to turn students’ Conference on Statistical dreams of education into a reality. Practice and is the many, many organizations strive to make an impact. founder of Peace-Work, As a result, there are far more data sources than a volunteer cooperative there are people to analyze them. of statisticians and data Education advocacy offers opportunities for scientists providing everyone in the D4G community, including stu- strategies to help students and programs overcome analytic support for dents, first-time volunteers, and people with many the effects of the pandemic. charitable groups and applying statistical years of experience. Many skills are needed, from One of my favorite parts of writing this column methods in issue-driven wrangling the basic data to exploratory analysis, is shining a light on organizations making a posi- advocacy. modeling, and writing and presenting the results. tive impact and how they use analytics. At the ASA’s That makes it a great place to form a team with a Conference on Statistical Practice in February, I diverse skill set. heard about a program helping students become the All types and levels of education need analyt- first in their family to attend and complete college. ic support, so there is sure to be a project that The College Crusade (https://thecollegecrusade.org/ matches your interests. A number of areas haven’t tccri) is a state-level program in Rhode Island tar- been studied well and really need more attention. geting middle- and high-school students from low- While college education gets a lot of attention income urban school districts. Its goal is to support, (but still more is needed), the impact of vocation- encourage, and mentor students, setting them on a al education on the economy and people’s lives path to higher education. is one of the most overlooked subjects in educa- The concept is simple and powerful: Starting tion today. Intersectionality is another important early to nurture students over a period of years, but under-studied area of educational advocacy, The College Crusade staff change the lives of where the combined impact of education with the students, their families, and the wider com- other issues is considered. munity. The program is supported in part by the One hot topic right now is the impact of US Department of Education’s Gear Up program COVID-19 on education and developing mitigation (https://bit.ly/2QjvIfs), which follows cohorts

28 amstat news may 2021 columns

of students beginning no later than the seventh grade and connects them with state, local, and All types and levels of education need individual partners to prepare them for post- secondary education. Gear Up, which stands analytic support, so there is sure to be a for “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs,” also provides funding project that matches your interests. for college scholarships. Making all this happen requires a lot of support in data and evaluation. I had a chance to talk with ASA member Erin Twomey-Wilson, evaluation and research specialist at The College Crusade, in Rhode Island and other Gear Up programs are about how analytics plays an essential role in their examples of statistical science making a difference life-changing mission. She oversees data collection in students’ lives that go far beyond the classroom. and management, identifies KPIs and develops pro- Setting an example for other D4G programs, they gram metrics, analyzes the impact of the programs’ and others like them are bending the arc of history impact on the students, and presents the results. for a more just world. n Like many other D4G organizations, The College Crusade partners with many organizations. This makes establishment of a database serving a varied group of stakeholders a challenging but essential analytic task. Twomey-Wilson also works with other researchers from the state and at universities to provide the science needed to strengthen programs and deliver high-impact results. The College Crusade

may 2021 amstat news 29 education

Registration Open for USCOTS 2021

egistration is open for College, Prince Afriyie of the the U.S. Conference on University of Virginia, and Teaching Statistics Samuel Echevarria-Cruz of R(USCOTS), to be held virtually Austin Community College. June 28 – July 1 with pre-con- In addition, the conference ference workshops starting June California State University program includes the following: 24. The conference theme is – Monterey Bay. A keynote • Opening and closing ses- Expanding Opportunities. panel discussion, “Expanding sions with five-minute pre- Keynote presentations will Horizons and Fostering sentations be given by Rebecca Nugent Diversity,” will feature Felicia of Carnegie Mellon, Data Simpson of Winston-Salem • Interactive breakout sessions Feminism authors Catherine State University, Jaqueline • Posters-and-beyond sessions D’Ignazio and Lauren Klein Hughes-Oliver of North of MIT and Emory, respec- Carolina State University, • Birds-of-a-feather discussions tively, and Alana Unfried of Jamylle Carter of Diablo Valley • Speed mentoring • Pre-conference workshops • Exhibitor technology dem- onstrations • An awards ceremony

The conference registration fee is $25, which can be reduced to the following: • $15 for those affiliated with a CAUSE member institution • Free for those who create a short video for the SPARKS Challenge (www.causeweb. org/cause/sparks/submit) • Free for those for whom any HAVE YOU fee would be a burden For more information and to register, visit https://bit. ly/3mOeS4M. MOVED? Questions can be addressed to program co-chairs, Allan Rossman Log in to your ASA account ([email protected]) and Kelly McConville (mcconville@reed. and update your address at edu), or CAUSE director, Dennis https://goo.gl/SMJvXh. Pearl ([email protected]). n

30 amstat news may 2021 people news

Program—and conceived the 2001 to recognize his contri- design, statistical methods, and butions to survey statistics and ultimate data analysis. methodology. Each year, a prom- Jewell said, “I am delighted inent survey statistician is chosen and honored to receive the 2021 to write a paper that reviews the Nathan Mantel Award. Mantel development and current state played a major role in developing of an important topic in survey statistical methods for applications statistics and methodology and to epidemiology, and I am awe- reflects the mixture of theory struck to join the list of extraordi- and practice that characterized nary prior recipients of this award. Waksberg’s work. It is very humbling indeed. Waksberg was a giant in survey “The very first conference sampling for nearly seven decades, Nicholas Jewell presentation that I ever gave on beginning at the US Census a medical statistics topic was in Bureau in 1940 and then mov- The ASA Statistics in front of Nathan (and David Cox ing to Westat in 1973, where he Epidemiology Section recently and Norm Breslow—the first served as chair of the board from announced Nicholas Jewell, recipient of the Mantel Award), 1990 until his death in 2006. The ASA recently professor of biostatistics and and it was a nerve-wracking expe- The award includes an hono- made the decision epidemiology at the London rience. From those early days, I rarium made possible by a grant to hold JSM virtually. School of Hygiene & Tropical have been blessed to work with from Westat. Please view the JSM Medicine, as this year’s Nathan many wonderful collaborators website at ww2. on several major infectious and Distinguished professor and amstat.org/meetings/ Mantel Award winner. jsm/2021 for updates The annual award recognizes chronic disease challenges in epi- ASA member Noel Cressie to programming, contributions to the develop- demiology. It is deeply satisfying was named a fellow of the Royal dates, and times. ment and application of statis- to have our work recognized.” Society of New South Wales tical science to problems and Jewell will be presented with (FRSN) on December 9, 2020, by issues in epidemiology. the award, which consists of Her Excellency, The Honourable Jewell has published more $1,000 and a plaque, by the Margaret Beazley AC QC, gov- than 190 articles about statis- section at the Joint Statistical ernor of New South Wales. tics, mathematics, epidemiology, Meetings in August. FRSN recognizes the substan- medicine, and history. He is also tial contributions made by New the author of the book Statistics The 2021 recipient of South Wales leaders in science, in Epidemiology. the Waksberg Award (https://bit. art, literature, and philosophy. Jewell’s most recent work ly/3281Ntp) is Sharon Lohr, Cressie develops world-lead- includes the first gold-standard who will give the Waksberg ing statistical methodology for trial (https://bit.ly/3s6T9G4), Invited Address at the Statistics analyzing spatial and spatiotem- which successfully infected the Canada 2021 Symposium and poral data and its application Aedes aegypti mosquito with write a paper planned for pub- to the environmental sciences. Wolbachia, reducing dengue lication in the December 2022 He is director of the University cases in areas of Indonesia by issue of Survey Methodology. of Wollongong’s Centre for 77 percent. Jewell was the Survey Methodology established Environmental Informatics in study statistician on the trial— an annual invited paper series in the National Institute for Applied run by the World Mosquito honor of Joseph Waksberg in Statistics Research Australia. n

may 2021 amstat news 31 people news

eight years as a professor at York mentorship of John Tukey and Obituary University, where he helped build Samuel Wilks—he specialized Donald A. S. Fraser up statistics. in statistics, which was then a Elected to the Royal Society newly developing field. Christian Genest, McGill of Canada at the age of 42, Don Upon graduating from University was the first recipient of the Princeton in 1949, Don returned Gold Medal of the Statistical to the department of mathemat- On December 21, 2020, the Society of Canada (SSC) in ics at the University of Toronto as world lost eminent statisti- 1985. He later received honor- an assistant professor of statistics. cian Donald Alexander Stuart ary degrees from the University He quickly acquired a reputation Fraser, who passed away at the of Waterloo (1992) and both in teaching and research age of 95. By his side was his University of Toronto (2002) and became a full professor at wife Nancy Reid, herself a dis- and was appointed Officer of the age of 33. He was responsi- tinguished statistician. the Order of Canada in 2011 ble, virtually single-handedly, for Don’s path as a scientist, in recognition of his contribu- developing statistics at his insti- which spanned more than 70 tions to science and society. His tution. He succeeded in build- years, was characterized by cre- accolades include fellowships in ing a strong and broadly based ative thinking, deep intuition, the Institute of Mathematical research group there; many of his and a singular passion for sta- Statistics (1954), Royal Statistical students became successful aca- tistics. As the author of more Society (1956), American demics in Canada and abroad. than 280 articles, two research Statistical Association (1962), While his own research was monographs, and three widely American Association for the focused on theory, he recognized used textbooks—which were Advancement of Science (1971), early the importance of statisti- the first exposure to the subject and American Mathematical cal computing and the need to for generations of students in Society (2015), as well as an develop infrastructure and hire the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s—he elected membership in the in that field. had a profound and lasting International Statistical Institute From his exchanges in the influence on the advancement (1962). Moreover, he was the early 1950s with Sir Ronald A. of the field internationally. 1990 recipient of the R.A. Fisher Fisher to the end of his career, Based at the University of Award and Lectureship, became Don’s work was marked with Toronto throughout his career, an honorary member of the SSC audacity and extraordinary origi- which began in 1949, Don was in 1991, and received the Gold nality. He quickly became one for decades the foremost intel- Medal of the Islamic Statistical of the early leaders in pedagogy lectual leader of the discipline Society in 2000. by writing two widely used text- in Canada. He schooled many Don was born in Toronto books: Nonparametric Methods generations of statisticians and on April 29, 1925, to physician in Statistics (1957) and Statistics: data scientists, supervising 55 Maxwell John Fraser and his An Introduction (1958). As his PhD students. He played a wife, Ailie Jean Stuart. Raised in reputation in both research key role in the establishment Stratford, Ontario, he attended and teaching grew, these books of his university’s department St. Andrew’s College in Aurora became classic references. In of statistical sciences, serving from 1939 to 1942 and the 1976, he wrote a third book, as its first chair from 1977 to University of Toronto from Probability and Statistics: Theory 1983. His stature attracted tal- 1942 to 1947, completing a BA and Applications, that was also ent and helped the University in mathematics, physics, and well received. of Toronto become a center of chemistry in 1946 and an MA From the beginning of his excellence in statistics, which in 1947. He distinguished him- career, Don made many highly it remains to this day. He was self early as a Putnam fellow and original and important con- also involved in the creation member of the first-place team tributions to statistical theory. of a national statistical asso- in the Putnam international One of the most widely cited ciation and brought prestige mathematics competition in is a landmark paper titled to The Canadian Journal of 1946. This singular achievement “Structural Probability and a Statistics (CJS) by serving as qualified him for admission Generalization” (Biometrika, editor-in-chief from 1977 to and a graduate scholarship at 1966). Written solo, as were 1980. He continued to exer- Princeton University, where he most of his writings between cise leadership beyond his completed his PhD within two 1951 and 1970, this paper retirement in 1986, spending years. It is there that—under the provided the outline for a new

32 amstat news may 2021 people news

approach to inference called inference and areas most people his mind. At Lake Temagami, “structural inference,” which would have viewed as tangential where he spent nearly all his used in an essential and inno- to his interests. For example, his summers, he oversaw the con- vative way the mathematical 2007 paper with Bédard and struction of several cabins and structure of a wide class of sto- Wong, published in Statistical docks. His passion for build- chastic models. With colleagues Science, was noteworthy for pro- ing is also immortalized in the and students, Don later devel- posing an innovative approach Fraser House at 4 Old George oped and extended this theory to Markov chain Monte Carlo Place, in Toronto’s neighbor- in a large number of research sampling, whose computational hood of Rosedale, which he papers and the research mono- aspects he developed to consid- commissioned the famous graphs The Structure of Inference erable success. architect Ronald J. Thom to (1968) and Inference and Linear Don’s influence in research design for him in 1964. Models (1979). In recognition has been profound, but per- Don leaves in mourning of the importance of this con- haps more striking still is the his wife, Nancy; their daugh- tribution, Don’s 1966 paper influence he had on several gen- ters, Ailie and Donelle; five was reprinted in Breakthroughs erations of scientists. Among other daughters from previous in Statistics: Foundations and many others, David Brillinger, marriages, Julie, Danae, Maia, Basic Theory (Springer, 1992). Arthur Dempster, and Stephen Andrea, and Ailana (the latter Don’s work on structural Fienberg repeatedly acknowl- three are professors of mathe- inference emphasized the central edged the importance of matics in Canadian universi- role of the likelihood function in Don’s mentorship in starting ties); and several grandchildren statistical inference. This point of their careers. Don’s long list of and great grandchildren. view, which is broadly accepted PhD graduates includes three He will live on through the today, ran counter to widely held SSC Gold Medalists—Irwin many scholarly contributions views at the time. In the 1980s Guttman (1955), Ivan Fellegi that made him a titan of statis- and 1990s, much research was (1961), and David Andrews tics, but also through the posi- devoted to approximations in (1968)—but also Keith tive influence he had on so many the area of likelihood asymptot- Hastings (1962) of Metropolis- people, including more than 350 ics. Don’s research, conducted Hastings fame; Ross Prentice academic descendants, and the in large part with Nancy, was at (1970), former director of the lasting impression he gave of a the forefront of these develop- public health sciences division kind, joyful, humorous, enthu- ments—from his groundbreak- at the University of Washington; siastic, energetic, hard-working, ing introduction of the tangent Kai-Wang Ng (1975), professor clever human being. exponential model (Biometrika, at the University of Hong Kong; In his 2009 book, SUM: Forty 1990) to his paper with Davison, and former CJS Editor Grace Yi Tales from the Afterlives, David Reid, and Sartori on directional (2000). Don also had a special Eagleman wrote, “There are inference (Journal of the American connection with Nancy, a kin- three deaths: The first is when Statistical Association, 2014). His dred spirit with whom he pub- the body ceases to function. The contributions to the asymptotic lished more than 50 papers and second is when the body is con- theory of inference, combined had two daughters. signed to the grave. The third is with his earlier work on struc- Don’s personal life was as that moment, sometime in the tural inference, helped shed new extraordinary as his profession- future, when your name is spo- light on the interface between the al accomplishments. He was ken for the last time.” Speaking Bayesian and Fisherian schools of a man of insatiable curiosity, of the third death, Don Fraser thought in unexpected ways. His always in search of the unique will outlive most of us. 2010 paper in the Journal of the and unconventional, and highly Additional information about Royal Statistical Society, Series B, energetic and seeking to test his Don’s career and his views on sta- coauthored by Reid, Marras, and limits—both mental and physi- tistics and science can be found Yi, directly addressed this debate. cal. He spoke enthusiastically of in his discussion with Tom Throughout his career, Don the canoe trip he once made in DiCiccio and Mary Thompson maintained an exceptionally his twenties to James Bay and published in the May 2004 issue active program in research, pub- he remained, late in his life, an of Statistical Science (pp. 370– lishing important work in all avid swimmer, a waterskier in 386). An interview with Don is the leading statistical journals. the summer, and a snowmobiler also available from the Videotape With characteristic originality, in the winter. His lifelong inter- Archives of the American he saw links between likelihood est in architecture also occupied Statistical Association.

may 2021 amstat news 33 awards & deadlines

Nominations Open for AMS Awards, Prizes

elebrate excellence in Journal of Conformal has made significant con- mathematics scholar- Geometry and Dynamics, tributions of lasting value ship, education, and and Electronic Journal of to mathematics education. Coutreach by nominating col- Representation Theory— • Mathematics Programs leagues for upcoming American during the six calendar years ending a full year That Make a Difference: Mathematical Society (AMS) Awarded to outstanding prizes and awards. Nominations before the meeting at which the prize is awarded. programs that have success- are open until June 30. fully addressed the issues Winners will be recognized at • David P. Robbins Prize: of underrepresented groups the 2022 Joint Mathematics Awarded for a paper that in mathematics such as Meetings in January. reports on novel research racial and ethnic minorities, The AMS’s newest prize, on a broadly accessible women, low-income stu- the Ciprian Foias Prize in topic in algebra, combi- dents, and first-generation Operator Theory, will be award- natorics, or discrete math- college students. ed every three years beginning ematics with a significant in January 2022. The prize will experimental component. • Award for Distinguished Public Service recognize notable work in oper- The paper should provide : Given to a research mathematician ator theory published during a simple statement of the who has made recent or the preceding six years. Ciprian problem and clear exposition of the work and must sustained distinguished Foias (1933–2020) was an contributions to the math- influential scholar in operator have been published in the last six calendar years. ematics profession through theory and fluid mechanics, a public service. mentor, and an advocate of the • Oswald Veblen Prize in Finally, nominations are mathematical community. His Geometry: Recognizes a colleagues and friends estab- open for the following two notable research work in prizes presented jointly by the lished the prize in his memory. geometry or topology that AMS and other mathematical The current nomination has appeared in the last cycle includes the following five six years. societies: • Norbert Wiener Prize in other AMS prizes that honor In addition, the AMS is Applied Mathematics: accomplishments in mathemati- seeking nominations for the cal research and exposition: Awarded for an outstand- following awards that highlight ing contribution to applied • Chevalley Prize in Lie outstanding service to the math- mathematics in the highest Theory: Given for notable ematics community through and broadest sense. work in Lie theory pub- education, outreach, and other lished in the last six years. contributions to the profession: • Frank and Brennie Morgan Prize for • Levi L. Conant Prize • Award for an Exemplary : Outstanding Research by Recognizes the best Program or Achievement an Undergraduate Student: expository paper pub- in a Mathematics Honors an undergraduate lished in either Notices of Department: Recognizes a student (or students for the AMS or Bulletin of the department that has distin- joint work) for outstanding AMS in the last five years. guished itself by undertaking an unusual or particularly research in mathematics. • E. H. Moore Research effective program of value to Read more about each prize Article Prize: Given for the mathematics community, and award at www.ams.org/prizes- an outstanding research internally or in relation to awards/palist.cgi. If you know a article that has appeared in the rest of society. colleague, student, mentor, or one of the society’s primary department deserving of any of • Award for Impact on the research journals—Journal these accolades, nominate them of the AMS, Proceedings Teaching and Learning for consideration. Questions of the AMS, Transactions of Mathematics: Honors about the nomination processes of the AMS, Memoirs of a mathematician (or group the AMS, Mathematics of of mathematicians) who may be emailed to the AMS sec- n Computation, Electronic retary at [email protected].

34 amstat news may 2021 awards & deadlines

INFORMS Student Paper Norwood Award Savage Award Prize The University of Alabama The Prize Committee of the The INFORMS Optimization at Birmingham Department International Society for Bayesian Society Student Paper Prize of Biostatistics is accepting Analysis (ISBA) is accepting sub- will be awarded at the nominations for the Janet L. missions for the 2021 Savage INFORMS annual meet- Norwood Award for Outstanding Award until May 31. ing for the most outstanding Achievement by a Woman in the The award, named in honor paper in optimization present- Statistical Sciences. of Leonard J. “Jimmie” Savage, is ed at the meeting or published Eligible individuals are bestowed each year upon two doc- in a refereed professional jour- women who: toral students for outstanding dis- nal within the last three calen- • Have completed their termi- sertations in Bayesian econometrics dar years. The prize serves as nal degree and statistics. One award is given recognition of promising stu- in each of the following areas: • Have made extraordinary dents who are looking for an • Theory and Methods: For contributions and have an academic or industrial career. a dissertation that makes outstanding record of service The winner(s) will be invited important original contribu- to the statistical sciences, to give a 15-minute presentation tions to the foundations, with an emphasis on both in a special session during the theoretical developments, their own scholarship and annual meeting, which will take and/or general methodology on teaching and leadership place virtually and in person in of Bayesian analysis of the field in general and Anaheim, California, October women in particular 24–27. The award includes a • Applied Methodology: For a dissertation that makes cash prize of $3,000 and a cita- • Are willing, if selected, to outstanding contributions deliver a lecture at the award tion certificate. with novel Bayesian analysis ceremony Nominees/applicants must of a substantive problem have been a student by January How to Nominate that has potential to impact 1 of this year to be eligible. statistical practice in a field Winners will be responsible for Send a full curriculum vitae of application all travel expenses associated accompanied by a letter of with presenting their paper at not more than two pages in A monetary prize of $750 the INFORMS meeting. Award length describing the nature of will be awarded. Finalists will be winners are also asked to con- the candidate’s contributions. notified in mid-December and tribute an article about their Contributions may be in devel- invited to present their disserta- award-winning work to the opment and evaluation of statis- tion research at a special contrib- Optimization Society newslet- tical methods, teaching statistics, uted session of the ISBA World ter. The deadline for nomina- application of statistics, or any Meeting in Montréal, Canada, in tions/applications is June 1. other activity that can argu- 2022, where the award winners The INFORMS Optimization ably be said to have advanced will also be announced. Society Student Paper Prize was the field of statistical science. For details about the Savage https://bayesian.org/ established in 2006 and is admin- Self-nominations are acceptable. Award, visit project/savage-award istered by the Optimization Electronic submissions of nomi- . Society of the Institute for nations are encouraged. Nominations may be made Operations Research and the Nominations should be sent to by any ISBA or ASA Section on Management Sciences. For more [email protected] by July 26. Bayesian Statistical Science mem- information about the award, The winner will be announced by ber. For information about ISBA, https://bayesian.org n visit the INFORMS website at August 9, with the lecture taking visit . https://bit.ly/3e0VA7U. place September 21. For information about the For information about INFORMS Annual Meeting, Janet Norward, visit https://bit. visit https://bit.ly/3sjd44U. n ly/329WIAI. n

may 2021 amstat news 35 section • chapter • committee news

Quality and Productivity RMarkdown.” The remaining three days consist The 37th annual Quality and Productivity of plenary, invited, and contributed presentations Research Conference will be hosted by Florida and poster sessions. Details can be found at https:// State University in Tallahassee, Florida, July 26–29. qprc2021.com. This conference is the main annual meeting for Student participation is a vital part of the con- the Quality and Productivity Section. The 2021 ference. We will engage students from numerous conference theme, Data Science and Statistics for universities and graduate programs across the US. Quality, reflects the changing nature of the disci- Students are invited to submit contributed talk and pline of statistics. poster presentations and apply for scholarships for The overall aim of the conference is promotion travel, registration, and the short course fee. of data science in diverse applied areas, particularly The conference will have a hybrid format. Sessions those associated with the fields of quality and pro- and participation will be both in-person and remote cess control. Massive amounts of data are being col- to accommodate those affected by the pandemic. lected on a daily basis—processed and analyzed in To submit a contributed paper or a proposal for virtually every branch of modern society and every a contributed session, provide a title, authors, and aspect of everyday life—so the science, quality, and abstracts to Felipe Barrientos at [email protected]. statistical communities are obligated to keep up Register for the conference at https://qprc2021.com. n with the rapid growth and variety of collected data and provide up-to-date methodologies and guid- Survey Research Methods ance to those using this data. The Survey Research Methods Section proceedings This conference will explore and promote ideas from the 2020 Joint Statistical Meetings are now that further this goal. Statisticians, data scientists, available at www.asasrms.org/Proceedings/index.html. and practitioners from these areas will propose and At the bottom of the 2020 screen, you can also find discuss the latest ideas and cutting-edge modern papers from the American Association for Public methodologies in all aspects of big data analysis and Opinion Research 2020 Virtual Conference. their applications. The conference will focus on the SRMS provides free access to the proceedings for progress made in such computationally intensive the entire history of the Survey Research Methods fields such as data mining, machine learning, func- Section (1978–2020), as well as the proceedings tional data analysis, image reconstruction, statisti- from the Social Statistics Section (from which SRMS cal process control, and uncertainty quantification. separated in 1978) from 1958–1977. The section Attendees will be able to form collaborations also grants free access to the proceedings from all and interact with the next generation of rising stu- five International Conference on Establishment dents interested in these fields. Surveys (ICES) meetings (1993–2016). The first day of the conference includes a Note that some of these years are prior to the short course emphasizing computational meth- electronic proceedings available through the ASA ods for analyzing big data, “Visualize, Munge, (2012–today); the section has scanned all earlier Present: Working Effectively with Tidyverse and papers as a service to survey researchers. n

Join us October 6–8 for omen in virtual Statistics and Da ta Science conference

36 amstat news may 2021 professional opportunities

Louisiana ■ Louisiana State University A&M and Professional Opportunity listings may not exceed 65 words, plus equal opportunity Agricultural Center seek candidates for information. The deadline for their receipt is the 20th of the month two months prior Department Head of the Department of to when the ad is to be published (e.g., May 20 for the July issue). Ads will be pub- Experimental Statistics. The successful lished in the next available issue following receipt. candidate will be a leader with a shared Listings are shown alphabetically by state, followed by international listings. Vacancy vision to guide, support, and inspire a listings may include the institutional name and address or be identified by number, multidisciplinary faculty and staff in their as desired. tripartite mission of scholarly teaching, research, and outreach. Visit the LSU Professional Opportunities vacancies also will be published on the ASA’s website Career page for more information. (www.amstat.org). Vacancy listings will appear on the website for the entire calendar month. Ads may not be placed for publication in the magazine only; all ads will be International published both electronically and in print. ■ American University in Cairo seeks These listings and additional information about the 65-word ads can be found at statistics faculty positions. Requirements: ww2.amstat.org/ads. PhD in Statistics, Data Science or a Employers are expected to acknowledge all responses resulting from publication of related field; to teach courses in Applied their ads. Personnel advertising is accepted with the understanding that the adver- Statistics at the undergraduate and tiser does not discriminate among applicants on the basis of race, sex, religion, age, graduate levels, engage in scholarly research, external grant funding and color, national origin, handicap, or sexual orientation. applied consulting project-based work; Also, look for job ads on the ASA website at https://jobs.amstat.org/jobseekers. to be proficient in one or more statistical analysis package such as SAS, R, Python, or other similar programming languages with experience in Big Data Analytics and informatics. n

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may 2021 amstat news 37 ASSISTANT, ASSOCIATE, OR FULL PROFESSOR OF BIOSTATISTICS Department of Preventive Medicine Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California

The Department of Preventive Medicine of the University of Southern California invites applications for a clinical track faculty position at the Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor level in biostatistics. A suitable candidate is required to hold a PhD in biostatistics, or a related eld. Candidates should have a demonstrated track record of methodological and applied interdisciplinary research, and interest in working with clinical and basic science investigators focused on investigations in children and young adults with cancer.

The successful applicant will devote their effort to biostatistical and research design functions of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). Major clinical and translational research efforts at COG involve investigations into the biology, treatment, epidemiology, and late adverse outcomes associated with cancers of children and young adults. Through COG, the successful applicant will have the opportunity to interact with a large network of clinical investigators, basic scientists, epidemiologists and statisticians working in childhood cancer research.

Potential candidates are encouraged to submit their applications (along with current CV, statement of research interests, and two or more letters of recommendation) to:

Todd Alonzo, PhD Professor of Research University of Southern California Children’s Oncology Group Email: [email protected]

USC values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity in employment. Women and men, and members of all racial and ethnic groups are encouraged to apply

38 amstat news may 2021 Possibilities and Probabilities AMSTATNEWS If working in an environment that values ADVERTISING DIRECTORY individuality and diversity and allows you to Listed below are our display advertisements innovate, engage in problem solving, and achieve only. If you are looking for job-placement ads, your professional goals appeals to you, then the please see the professional opportunities section. For more job listings or more information U.S. Census Bureau is the place for you. about advertising, please visit www.amstat.org.

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may 2021 amstat news 39 SOCIAL CHATTER

community. amstat.org a statistician or data scientist.

www.facebook. com/AmstatNews Anthony Cutler • @anthonyncutler “If you torture the data enough, nature will always confess.” @AmstatNews Ronald Coase

www.instagram Rosana Ferrero .com/AmstatNews @RosanaFerrero Statistics is the grammar of science. (Karl Pearson 1892?) NEXT David Lane @LaneReport MONTH: “It is easy to lie with statistics; Write a it is easier to lie without them.” haiku telling Frederick Mosteller us what statistics is. Kaspar Rufibach @numbersman77 “Space-age procedure will not save stone-age data.” Tom Louis, ISCB35 Vienna Tricia Carlin Bahnsen “All models are wrong, but some Joe Blitzstein • @stat110 are useful.”— George Box “There are no routine statistical questions, only questionable Kel Zou statistical routines.” — Sir David “An approximate answer to the R. Cox right problem is worth a good deal more than an exact answer Dr. Leslie McClure to an approximate problem.” @StatGirlLAM — John Tukey “I believe strongly that an objective, scientifically created Rets’elisitsoe Ts’ukulu system of data is essential for a “Statisticians, like artists, have the democracy to flourish.” — Janet bad habit of falling in love with Norwood their models.” — George Box

40 amstat news may 2021 SIAM/ASA Journal on UNCERTAINTY QUANTIFICATION Mathematical, statistical, algorithmic, and application advances in uncertainty quantification and related fields

Editors-in-Chief Recently Published Articles

Density Estimation by Randomized Quasi-Monte Carlo Amal Ben Abdellah, PierreL’Ecuyer, Art B. Owen, and Florian Puchhammer Sequential Design of Computer Experiments for the Peter Challenor Sebastian Reich Computation of Bayesian Model Evidence University of Exeter Universität Potsdam Michael Sinsbeck, Emily Cooke, and Wolfgang Nowak ublishes research articles Representing Model Discrepancy in Bound-to-Bound Data presenting significant Collaboration P Wenyu Li, Arun Hegde, James Oreluk, Andrew Packard, and mathematical, statistical, algorithmic, Michael Frenklach and application advances in Can We Trust Bayesian Uncertainty Quantification from uncertainty quantification and related Gaussian Process Priors with Squared Exponential fields such as sensitivity analysis, model Covariance Kernel? Amine Hadji and Botond Szabó validation, model calibration, data assimilation, and code verification. Popular Articles The journal also solicits papers describing new ideas that could lead Dimension Reduction for Gaussian Process Emulation: An Application to the Influence of Bathymetry on to significant progress in methodology Tsunami Heights for uncertainty quantification as Xiaoyu Liu and Serge Guillas Polynomial Chaos Expansion of Random Coefficients and well as review articles on particular the Solution of Stochastic Partial Differential Equations in aspects. The journal is dedicated to the Tensor Train Format Sergey Dolgov, Boris N. Khoromskij, Alexander Litvinenko, and nurturing synergistic interactions Hermann G. Matthies between the mathematical, statistical, Calculation of Lagrange Multipliers in the Construction of Maximum Entropy Distributions in High Stochastic Dimension computational, and applications A. Batou and C. Soize communities involved in uncertainty Variance Components and Generalized Sobol’ Indices quantification and related areas. Art B. Owen On Nonintrusive Uncertainty Quantification and Surrogate Model JUQ is published article by article at Construction in Particle Accelerator Modeling Andreas Adelmann epubs.siam.org/juq Gaussian Approximations for Probability Measures on Rd * Yulong Lu, Andrew Stuart, and Hendrik Weber

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