January 2009 • Issue #379 Amstat The Membership MagazineNews of the American Statistical Association

Salary Survey of Biostatistics and Other Biomedical Statistics Departments and Units

ALSO: ASA Supports Independence of Census Bureau

CAUSE Reports Fun, Fun, Fun

Publications Agreement No. 41544521

JANUARY 2009 • Issue #379

Executive Director Ron Wasserstein: [email protected]

Associate Executive Director and Director of Operations F EATURES Stephen Porzio: [email protected]

Director of Programs 3 President’s Corner Martha Aliaga: [email protected] 4 Distance Graduate Program Rated a ‘Best Buy’ Director of Science Policy 4 PIRE Accepting Partnership Proposals Steve Pierson: [email protected] 5 ASA Supports Independence of Census Bureau Managing Editor Megan Murphy: [email protected] 6 Agent-Based Modeling Explores Challenges to Theory, Science Production Coordinators/Graphic Designers Melissa Muko: [email protected] Lidia Vigyázó: [email protected] 7 NSF, CBMS Announce Conference Series

Publications Coordinator Val Snider: [email protected]

Advertising Manager Claudine Donovan: [email protected]

Contributing Staff Members Amy Farris • Rick Peterson • Eric Sampson • Kathleen Wert

Amstat News welcomes news items and letters from readers on matters ASA Supports of interest to the association and the profession. Address correspondence Independence of Census Bureau to Managing Editor, Amstat News, American Statistical Association, 732 North Washington Street, Alexandria VA 22314-1943 USA, or email p. 5 [email protected]. Items must be received by the first day of the preced- ing 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 art- work will be accepted in graphics file formats only (.jpg, etc.), minimum 300 dpi. No material in WordPerfect will be accepted. Amstat News (ISSN 0163-9617) is published monthly by the American Statistical Association, 732 North Washington Street, Alexandria VA 22314-1943 USA. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Virginia, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Amstat News, 732 North Washington Street, Alexandria VA 22314-1943 USA. Send Canadian address changes to Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor 9 sPAIG Committee Wants to Know Your Salary ON N9A 6J5; [email protected]. Annual subscriptions are $50 per year for nonmembers. Amstat News is the member publication of the 9 Volunteers in Search of Work ASA. For annual membership rates, see www.amstat.org/join or contact Statisticians Without Borders Ready to Begin Project ASA Member Services at (888) 231-3473.

American Statistical Association 10 staff Spotlight 732 North Washington Street Alexandria, VA 22314–1943 USA (703) 684–1221 • FAX: (703) 684-2036

ASA GENERAL: [email protected] ADDRESS CHANGES: [email protected] AMSTAT EDITORIAL: [email protected] ADVERTISING: [email protected] Web Site: www.amstat.org Salary Survey of Printed in USA © 2009 Biostatistics and Other American Statistical Association Biomedical Statistics Departments and Units VISION STATEMENT To be a world leader p. 12 in promoting statistical practice, applications, and research; publishing statistical journals; improving statistical education; and advancing the statistics profession

MISSION STATEMENT Support excellence in statistical practice, research, journals, and meetings. Work for the improvement of statistical education at all levels. Promote the proper application of statistics. Anticipate and meet the needs of our members. Use our discipline to enhance human welfare. Seek opportunities to advance the statistics profession. Column Contributors Funding Opportunities Salary Survey of Biostatistics and Other Biomedical Statistics Departments and Units p. 12 DEPARTMENTS Keith Crank, assistant director for research and gradu- ate education at the ASA, writes about activities in 21 Meetings the Washington, DC, area that are of interest to ASA First Comes DC’s History, Then Comes JSM 2009 members. These brief articles include information about new research solicitations and the federal bud- 25 Education get for statistics. Comments or suggestions for future articles may be sent to [email protected]. CAUSE Reports Fun, Fun, Fun LearnSTAT Courses for Spring 2009 Crank Crank has a BS in mathematics education and an MS in mathematics from Michigan State University and a PhD in statistics from Purdue University. Prior to joining the ASA, he was a program officer at the National Science Foundation, primarily in the probability program.

First Comes DC’s History, Then Comes Science Policy News JSM 2009 Science in the Presidential Campaign and the Obama p. 21 Administration p. 15

Stephen W. Pierson, the ASA’s director of science policy, reports on what the ASA is doing to promote the inclusion of statistics in policymaking and the funding of statistics research. To suggest science CAUSE Reports policy topics for the ASA to address, contact Pierson Fun, Fun, Fun at [email protected]. p. 25

Pierson Pierson earned his PhD in physics from the University of Minnesota. He spent eight years in the physics department of Worcester Polytechnic Institute and later became head of government relations at the American Physical Society.

MEMBER NEWS Master’s Notebook 26 People News What Do Statisticians and Biostatisticians Do? 29 Award Deadlines and Information p. 19 31 Section News 41 Chapter News This column is written for statistician with master’s degrees and highlights areas of employment that 42 Calendar of Events will benefit statisticians at the master’s level. This 49 Professional Opportunities month’s notebook was written by the ASA’s Director for Research and Graduate Education, Keith Crank. Comments and suggestions should be sent to him at [email protected].

cover design by Megan Murphy Lakshminarayanan Contributing Editor: Mani Lakshminarayanan is director of biostatistics at Centocor, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson in Malvern, Pennsylvania. He earned his PhD in statistics from Southern Methodist University in 1984. PRESIDENT’S CORNER

Dear Members,

hank you for electing me as the 104th pres- energy to the specific topics—form the basis of each ident of the American Statistical Association. workgroup. The ASA membership and board also The three-year president-elect, president, have representation on each workgroup. I have asked Tand past president cycle offers a training year to the workgroups to be visionary, but also practical, in learn about the many aspects of the ASA. their recommendations—with specific action items to Throughout 2008, I was particularly impressed by be considered—and to use previous task force reports the passion and generosity of the many members and other ASA documents as primary building blocks who participate in a multitude of ways to promote for their work. As these initiatives move forward, we and support the association’s vision “to be the world will share their progress with all members. leader in promoting statistical practice, applica- My election platform also identified another tions, and research; publishing statistical journals; dimension of the strategic plan as a planned focus in improving statistical education; and advancing the 2009: visibility and impact in policymaking. The asso- statistics profession.” The ASA depends entirely on ciation has taken important steps toward this dimen- the good efforts of volunteers and the dedication and sion and gathered momentum over the past several skill of its staff. I am grateful for the many and varied years due to the leadership and contributions of many. contributions made by you on behalf of the statisti- Individual actions include, but are not limited to, cal community. Please do not hesitate to contact me hiring ASA Science Policy Director Steve Pierson in Sally C. Morton at [email protected] with your ideas and suggestions. 2008, forming the Science Policy Task Force in 2007– In my president-elect year, I focused on several 2008, increasing the number of ASA statements, activities: learning more about the association and visiting government agencies, collaborating with the reaching out to its members, organizational entities, Interagency Council on Statistical Policy, and working and sister societies; appointing approximately 150 closely with the ASA committees that focus wholly or committee members; and planning the 2009 presi- partially on policy. As physics teaches us, momentum dential initiatives. With respect to this last task, I am is conserved, and the association is poised to have an fortunate to be the first president since the launching even more meaningful impact in the coming years. of the new strategic plan (see www.amstat.org/about/ I encourage you to register for the Joint Statistical index.cfm?fuseaction=strategicplan). This plan is our Meetings, the largest gathering of statisticians in the association’s road map, albeit an evolving and dynam- world, to be held this August 1–6 in Washington, ic one, for the coming years. We will assess objectives DC. The theme for this year’s conference is “Statistics: via its paradigm, evaluate activities through its lens, From Evidence to Policy,” underscoring our discipline and schedule tasks based on its planning cycle. In an and association’s contributions to policymaking, as upcoming column, I will report on the state of the well as the conference location. Program Chair Wendy strategic plan, including its use, review, and updating. Martinez and her able program committee have assem- In considering initiatives for 2009, I synthesized bled an exciting invited program. Contributed abstract my election platform objectives with the planks of the submission opened December 1, and abstracts are due strategic plan. We have formed workgroups to focus by February 2. I encourage you to submit an abstract on the following challenges: and share your ideas with fellow conference attend- —Financial status ees. I look forward to seeing you in Washington. I will keep you updated via this column and —Meetings other communication venues as 2009 progresses, and I welcome your ideas and questions at any —Organizational efficiency time. I close with my best wishes for the New Year, I have benefited from the help and guidance of as well as my thanks again for the great honor of numerous ASA members, the board, and the staff serving as ASA president. in defining these initiatives. In addition to requir- ing that the initiatives be motivated by the strategic plan, my premise in forming initiative workgroups was that the relevant ASA committees—which bring particular expertise, historical knowledge, and

January 2009 Amstat News 3 Distance Graduate Program Rated a ‘Best Buy’ online colleges and universities. This online degree clearinghouse recently reviewed 216 distance learn- ing statistics and engineering graduate degree pro- grams offered through regionally accredited univer- olorado State University’s master’s degree in sities throughout the United States. Colorado State’s statistics distance program has been ranked distance master of science degrees in statistics and a “Best Buy” by GetEducated.com. The Best several disciplines in civil and mechanical engineer- BuyC designation indicates a program has been ing were ranked 18th in GetEducated.com’s list of the reviewed and judged to offer a high-quality distance top high-quality, low-cost programs. degree to a national audience at tuition rates below Colorado State University’s Statistics the national average. Department started offering a master’s degree in GetEducated.com is a distance learning college direc- statistics in 1992. This program has seen a great tory that verifies the cost, quality, and credibility of deal of growth and change in distance education technology since then, but still relies on lectures recorded live during the regular school year and disseminated to students worldwide. “The initial impetus for offering the MS in sta- Call for Proposals tistics through a distance program was that more people should have access to a quality education in statistics. This still remains our main driving force PIRE Accepting today, and we therefore appreciate the recognition we received through this ranking,” said Jay Breidt, Partnership Proposals chair of the Department of Statistics at Colorado State University. he National Science Foundation’s Partnerships for The master’s degree offered to distance students International Research and Education (PIRE) program is is the same degree offered to on-campus students, accepting proposals for research that incorporates a higher with the same coursework and requirements, so Tlevel of international participation between the science and engi- students and their employers know they are receiv- neering community in the United States. The program hopes to ing the same quality education as they would if enable U.S. scientists and engineers to establish collaborative rela- they were on campus. tionships with international colleagues to advance knowledge and For students who need a background in statis- make discoveries. tics, but who do not have the time or resources to Preliminary proposals are due February 26, 2009. From the initial pursue a full master’s degree, the Department of proposals, a group will be invited to send a full proposal by August Statistics at Colorado State also offers two graduate 4, 2009. certificates in statistics. The certificate in statistical The PIRE program will support bold, forward-looking research theory and methods is intended for those wishing to whose successful outcome results from all partners—U.S. and for- quickly complete the most important core compo- eign—providing unique contributions to the research endeavor. It nents of the master’s degree program. The certificate also is intended to facilitate greater student preparation and contrib- in applied statistics provides comprehensive training ute to the development of a diverse, globally engaged U.S. science in applied statistics and data analysis using modern and engineering work force. software. This certificate is intended for professionals For more information about this and other NSF proposals, visit or graduate students in diverse fields seeking a short- www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12819. n term program to strengthen their statistical skills. n

44 Amstat News January 2009 ASA Supports Independence of Census Bureau

he ASA Board of Directors recently endorsed Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s (D-NY) landmark bill to make the U.S. Census TBureau an independent agency in the federal gov- ernment and its directorship a fixed, five-year term. H.R. 7069, formally titled “Restoring the Integrity of American Statistics Act of 2008,” was introduced in September, and Maloney’s staff assures the ASA leadership that the bill will be introduced early in the new Congress. “I’m pleased with the board’s endorsement of the H.R. 7069 bill and grateful to Congresswoman Maloney for championing the independence of the Census Bureau,” said ASA President Sally Morton. “Autonomy is key for all federal statisti- cal agencies, and the ASA should do all we can to support that principle.” The bill was previously endorsed in a letter signed by seven former directors of the census, who together have served seven presidents, from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush. In introducing the bill, Maloney stated, “[T]he time has come to recognize the Census Bureau as one of our country’s premier scientific agencies, and it should be accorded the status of peers such as NASA, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation.” The bill would take effect in January of 2012, after the completion of the 2010 Decennial Census so as to not interfere with preparations for that event. It also calls for a five-year term for the new The board also expressed an interest in further sup- director of the census by nomination of the presi- porting the principles in Maloney’s bill and agreed to dent and confirmation by the Senate. A new inde- send a letter to Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE)—who has pendent census inspector general would be created expressed interest in the bill—urging him to intro- by the legislation, as well. duce a companion bill in the new Senate. The ASA In considering its position on H.R. 7069, the board also will pursue other opportunities to advance the was advised by a small group of ASA federal statisti- ideas in H.R. 7069. cal system experts that included Barbara Bailar, Janet To read the complete text of H.R. 7069, visit www. n Norwood, Fritz Scheuren, and John Thompson. opencongress.org/bill/110-h7069/show.

January 2009 Amstat News 5 Agent-Based Modeling Explores Challenges to Theory, Science

in agent-based model formulation revolved around social networks and geographic dimensionality, with additional complexity arising from the over- lay of social networks, networks of institutions, and equation models hybridized with agent-based modeling. Problems cast in terms of traffic and epi- demics were further elaborated on by inclusion of agents who think for themselves. The subject matter ranged from villages of 200 to metropolitan areas of 18 million. The chief commonalities included the need for criteria to establish credibility, practical ways to validate simulations, and astutely exploited mathematical underpinnings. Early on, it became clear that the use of agent-based modeling exists along a continuum. Exploratory models are at one end, with goals related to examining the consequences of specific theories or posited mechanisms for agent interac- tions. At the other end, there are predictive models that extrapolate the consequences of agent behavior from a collection of specifications about the agents and their abilities and modes of interaction. So, Attendees from several disciplines converge to discuss agent-based modeling at some applications developed hypothetical scenarios the recent NISS Explorations Workshop. based on assumptions and the alterations that might follow specific interventions (that induce changes in the model specification). Other applications investi- gated differences between model-based (predictive) patterns that emerged from an agent-based simula- he NISS-sponsored Agent-Based Modeling: tion with the patterns observed in reality to conjec- Commonalities in Unconnected Problems, ture about the mechanisms that lead to the reality. second in the NISS series of Explorations So what makes agent-based modeling credible TWorkshops, opened with a “gaps in the state-of-the- as a research tool? Obviously, answers must differ art” address by Ben Klemens of the Brookings for different research intentions. What are the infer- Institute and proceeded to pose and illustrate sub- ences to be drawn? An eventual equilibrium (stable stantive and theoretical questions. Before the work- function with estimable parameters)? Summary shop ended, the new conjectures raised covered the statistics of the process, itself? Mimicry of real gamut from philosophy to the sociology of chickens event(s) at a micro level? Statement, perhaps prob- and from physicists’ use of Laplacians to social sci- ability distribution-based, of the potential variation entists’ use of GIS. By any measure of interdisci- of outcomes? Comparative evaluation of different plinary engagement, the workshop was an excep- specifications that instantiate different theories? tional success, and wide-ranging avenues for Illumination of emergent behavior that is difficult statistical advances were uncovered. to extract from ‘noise’? Projections for hypothetical The agenda included perspectives on agent-based (unobservable) scenarios? modeling from applied mathematics, military appli- Similarly, validation of a particular agent-based cations, social sciences, and statistics. Complications model does not have a simple definition. When real data are available, they can provide one component

6 Amstat News January 2009 for validation. But, when the purpose is to investi- Call for Proposals gate responses to hypothetical scenarios, data-based validation may be limited to model components or high-level model summarization or equilibrium state, and some form of process validation will NSF, CBMS have to be supplied. Defining an adequate set of constructs for agent-based model validation is an Announce open challenge. Other challenges articulated by the partici- Conference Series pants from their varied disciplinary vantage points he National Science Foundation will hold included the need for well-grounded, agent-based four conferences jointly with the Conference models in dynamic scenarios where the conditions Board of the Mathematical Sciences in the in which the agents act are rapidly changing and/or Tspring and summer of 2009. The conferences, the agents, themselves, are evolving as they ‘learn.’ which aim to stimulate interest and activity in Escalating computational complexity for such mathematical research, include the following: models highlights the need to understand whether/ when/how to combine modeling power of (deter- Mathematical and Numerical Treatment of ministic) equation-based models with (stochas- Fluid Flow and Transport in Porous Media tic) agent-based models when inferences are to be Cluster Algebras and Applications drawn at several levels, from micro (agent) to macro (process summary, high) levels. The Interplay Between Convex Applying statistical thinking to the realm of Geometry and Harmonic Analysis agent-based modeling to draw inferences with attached probability statements requires reexamina- Probabilistic and Combinatorial tion in terms of the classical statistical questions. If Approach in Analysis an agent-based simulation is an experiment, what is the experimental unit? What constitutes a single Each of the five-day conferences will feature 10 test? How are prior distributions for parameters lectures on a topic of important current research specified? How is variation quantified? Most impor- in a focused area of the mathematical sciences. A tantly, how can the scientific process of agent-based monograph will be published afterward. modeling be formulated so the duality between the Also, proposals for 2010 conferences will be theoretical model specification and the experimen- accepted until April 24, 2009. When submitting tation is not circular? a proposal, keep in mind the four distinguishing Clearly, the workshop met the objective for a characteristics of the conference series, as follows: NISS Explorations Workshop: to raise questions worthy of serious research investment by investi- Focus on a single, important, and timely gating a scientific or policy area of current inter- area of research by a leading practitioner est or potential impact to determine whether the development of new statistical approaches, novel Publish monograph afterward for a wide audience implementation of existing statistical technologies, or new collaborative ventures could enable major Provide strong emphasis on local research activity advances in that area. A more complete discussion of these observations and challenges for statistical research is forthcoming at www.niss.org. Review all proposals for quality, breadth, NISS inaugurated the Explorations series early and timeliness in 2008 with a workshop called Data Availability —Making Research Data Public: Intelligible or Colleges or universities with research compe- Just Available? The workshop was held at AAAS tence in the field of the proposal are eligible to sub- in February. An invited session for JSM 2009 will mit a proposal. Institutions interested in upgrading present a reprise of the workshop with participant or improving their research efforts are especially scientists and journal editors as speakers. encouraged to apply. The next workshop in the series will be For more information about the conferences or held in Washington, DC, February 5–6, 2009. guidelines for proposal preparation and submis- Announcements and application/registration infor- sion, visit www.cbmsweb.org or contact CBMS, mation will be available at www.niss.org. Space will 1529 Eighteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC be limited, and pre-registration is required. n 20036; (202) 293-1170; [email protected]; [email protected]. n

January 2009 Amstat News 7 SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

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8 Amstat News January 2009 SPAIG Committee Wants to Know Your Salary

nce again, the Statistical Partnerships organizations, thus eliminating proxy group report- among Academe, Industry, and ing used for the 1999 and 2003 surveys. Government (SPAIG) committee of the If you have any comments or suggestions, con- AmericanO Statistical Association will be conducting tact SPAIG Committee Chair Jai Choi at jchoi@ the biannual salary survey of the ASA members mail.mcg.edu, committee member Rahul Parsa at employed within business, industry, and govern- [email protected], or Dias at jdias@mcg. ment (B/I/G). As in the past, the premise of this edu as soon as possible. n survey is that there is no salary information for this group of people or for a comparable group. The survey objectives include the following: Volunteers in To provide current salary information for B/I/G statisticians Search of Work To provide students with starting Statisticians Without Borders salary information by academic degree Ready to Begin Project To provide students and employed statisticians information about salary potential Gary Shapiro To provide employers with salary reference information To characterize B/I/G statisticians by several factors

Past surveys were done in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007, with results published in Amstat News and post- ed on SPAIG’s web site (www.svsu.edu/orgs/spaig). This year, SPAIG has contracted with the he October 2008 issue of Amstat News included a short piece Medical College of Georgia Biostatistics Consulting about the formation of Statisticians Without Borders, solicit- and Survey Center (MCG-BCSC) to conduct the ing volunteers to do pro bono work related to international survey. The ASA membership database that identi- Thealth. The response to this solicitation was amazing, and we have fies people as working in the B/I/G section provides many eager and enthusiastic volunteers. Now, we need your help the frame for the survey. Once again, every effort to find them work. will be made to improve the response rate and pro- Contact Gary Shapiro at [email protected] with any ideas vide quality salary information for all subgroups. for appropriate projects that would benefit from the assistance of a According to James Dias, director of MCG- statistician. While we are working with Doctors Without Borders and BCSC, several design adjustments are to be imple- will be coordinating with the AAAS Human Rights On-Call Scientists mented for the 2009 survey. The revised sample program, we are still looking for interested individuals or organizations design calls for the development of two samples that might want help. of ASA members, one for business and industry employees and the other for government employ- Thank You to the Volunteers ees. Both groups will be stratified by employment So far, volunteers include Anne-Sophie Charest, Dave Olsen, duration, dichotomized as ≤ two years or > two Dongseok Choi, Ed Binkowski, James Long, Jim Cochran (cochair), years. Advance letters with survey forms will be John Karon, Jorge Romeu, Justin Fisher, Larry George, Mark Sorell, mailed, followed with an email survey invitation, Michael Feldstein, Nicole Carnegie, Phil Gona, Rebecca Scherzer, and email reminders, and phone calls. Survey items Safaa Amer. Special thanks to Fritz Scheuren and Steve Pierson, who reflect responses from individuals, rather than have been very active in organizing the group. n

January 2009 Amstat News 9 Staff Spotlight Eric Sampson

hen I arrived at the ASA office on Duke Street for a job interview in late 1991, I was incredibly nervous. Had I known Wthat—depending on the interview’s outcome—I was about to embark on a path that would largely define my career for this many years (and counting), I would’ve been downright terrified. Sampson After many years of producing journals for the ASA, I am now the journals and publications manager. What a great position! Not only can I continue to be involved with the ASA’s world- lucky to have the ASA staff to rely on as I take on class publications and the people who make them new (and completely alien) duties. Without these possible, but I can be part of the team helping to folks, I would be completely lost. move the association’s journals and other publica- I admit I am writing this at somewhat of a bit- tions toward new technologies and platforms. tersweet moment. I just put on press what I expect I’m incredibly lucky to have the vision, energy, to be the last ASA journal I produce. Now, some- and advice of the amazing people who serve on one else will take over production duties. As excited the various publications committees. I’m doubly as I am about becoming journals manager, I’ll miss getting my hands ‘dirty,’ reading each manuscript and doing my best to help the authors convey their ideas. (Actually, just between us, I am going to continue producing one journal—the online-only Statistics in Biopharmaceutical Research. I just can’t Nominate a Member for Fellow give up all the production work.) I’ll also continue as the official photographer for the Joint Statistical Meetings, another job The nomination form and guidelines are available I love. JSM is where I get to meet many of the at www.amstat.org/fellows. people—editors, referees, authors, and commit- tee members—who make the ASA’s publications The deadline for nominating a Fellow is what they are. It’s also where I get to sneak into talks and presentations, listen for a few moments, Monday, March 2, 2009. then interrupt the poor speaker with a camera flash. “Just doing my job,” I mutter as I rush from Please be sure that anyone you nominate has the room. been a continuous member of the ASA from I should mention that you won’t find me at March 1, 2006, to February 28, 2009. the ASA’s headquarters in Virginia. I live in cen- tral Indiana with my wife, Jill, who is an elephant Be sure potential nominees have not already been inducted. To trainer at the Indianapolis Zoo. view a searchable list of Fellows, visit www.amstat.org/fellows. I’ve learned so much from the ASA—its peo- ple, its publications, its culture—and I can’t wait For questions about ASA Fellow nominations, to learn more. I can be reached at [email protected], email [email protected]. and I welcome your ideas, thoughts, comments, and criticisms. n

10 Amstat News January 2009 Titles from the ASA-SIAM SERIES on statistics and applied probability

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January 2009 Amstat News 11 Funding Opportunities Salary Survey of Biostatistics and Other Biomedical Statistics Departments and Units

Keith Crank, ASA Assistant Director for Research and Graduate Education

ere are results from the fall 2008 Salary Survey of Biostatistics and Other Biomedical Statistics Departments and Units conducted by the ASA. HAll salary figures are for a 12-month period. As in the past, previous salary survey data have been included for comparative purposes. The estimates are based on responses from 25 departments, plus a few individu- als who responded to the survey. If you have questions regarding the tabulations, or if you would like your bio- statistics unit to participate in future surveys, email Keith Crank, assistant director for research and graduate edu- cation, at [email protected]. Rank/Year in Percentile Fall 2002 Fall 2003 Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008 Rank Sample Size Sample Size Sample Size Sample Size Sample Size Sample Size Sample Size

Assistant 1–3 25th $68,680 $70,020 $73,345 $79,560 $82,400 $86,000 $89,200 50th 78,500 78,309 78,640 83,000 85,000 88,452 93,600 75th 80,490 82,017 84,505 88,000 90,000 92,869 98,300 (39) (71) (76) (149) (112) (106) (69) 4 or more 25th $69,000 $73,217 $78,611 $81,588 $84,476 $87,400 $90,500 50th 77,000 79,692 83,408 87,000 88,471 92,000 95,500 75th 82,800 83,796 87,018 94,039 94,819 98,220 106,200 (33) (30) (48) (55) (48) (65) (62) Associate 0–2 25th $74,826 $86,415 $92,000 $ 94,255 $ 89,937 $102,525 $102,500 50th 78,280 94,000 96,056 100,215 100,441 110,493 110,800 75th 99,063 99,412 99,759 103,378 113,000 118,900 127,000 (07) (23) (35) (40) (46) (50) (36) 3 or more 25th $ 81,840 $ 84,670 $ 88,142 $ 95,634 $101,384 $105,000 $109,300 50th 94,212 98,219 97,000 103,334 107,981 109,350 118,000 75th 101,650 105,951 107,313 117,747 120,000 124,924 130,000 (37) (48) (47) (53) (65) (66) (69) Full 0–6 25th $ 92,095 $110,000 $115,000 $122,095 $127,893 $137,991 $130,200 50th 114,796 125,000 130,500 147,988 147,488 163,870 145,200 75th 133,561 150,000 156,000 172,664 177,840 180,365 174,600 (24) (41) (46) (47) (54) (60) (65) 7 or more 25th $115,489 $120,925 $126,931 $127,630 $139,959 $147,575 $156,200 50th 140,221 145,712 148,000 151,410 172,523 180,760 187,000 75th 152,360 166,413 164,459 171,303 197,277 209,147 215,500 (44) (72) (72) (87) (84) (71) (77) Starting Assistant 25th $64,000 $70,000 $72,100 $81,600 $77,500 $84,000 $87,500 Professors

50th 68,750 75,000 79,342 84,000 82,400 85,000 91,500 75th 70,000 80,000 83,000 95,833 85,279 93,150 98,500 (09) (21) (34) (22) (27) (13) (09)

In 2008, as part of the academic salary survey, data were collected on nonfaculty academic statisticians and biostatisticians. The follow- ing table provides information about the salaries for full time, non- faculty, academic biostatisticians. (There were not enough responses for nonfaculty academic statisticians to provide summary statistics.) Quartiles are provided for categories that have seven or more respon- dents. The 90th percentile is provided for any category that has 19 or more respondents. All percentiles are rounded to the nearest $100.

January 2009 Amstat News 13 st rd 90th Highest Degree Years Since Count 1 Median 3 Highest Degree Quartile Quartile Percentile Master’s 0–2 20 $ 53,400 $ 55,500 $ 57,900 $ 59,300 3–5 22 $ 56,300 $ 59,900 $ 70,800 $ 71,000 6–10 19 $ 65,700 $ 70,500 $ 77,300 $ 84,500 11–15 10 $ 71,400 $ 76,000 $ 81,600 NA 16 or more 7 $101,400 $103,800 $126,800 NA

Missing 5 NA $ 66,400 NA NA

All 83 $ 56,400 $ 65,600 $ 73,700 $ 85,200

PhD All 7 $ 79,600 $ 88,600 $104,800 NA

Unknown All 11 $ 68,700 $ 75,400 $ 87,300 NA

These salaries are lower than the salaries for comparable experience and no management responsibility in the 2007 SPAIG salary survey (www.amstat.org/profession/SPAIGsalarysurvey07.pdf, tables 10, 12, and 13). Table 13 of the SPAIG survey is the one that should be most comparable to this table. While it is not surprising that industry pays more for biostatisticians than does academia, it is somewhat surprising that tables 10 and 12 of the SPAIG survey also have higher values than appear in this table. n

14 Amstat News January 2009 Science Policy News Science in the Presidential Campaign and the Obama Administration

Steve Pierson, ASA Director of Science Policy

Indeed, both candidates were expressing support for science in 2007 campaign appearances. Standing in front of a sign reading “reclaiming our commit- ment to science and technology,” Clinton vowed to end the war on science, citing that it was about more than security and the economy. “It is about democracy,” she said. For his part, Obama replied to a question about science policy, saying, “We’ve seen a decline in real dollar terms in our investment in science and tech- nology at precisely the time in which our economy is going to ultimately be dependent on our abil- ity to maintain our technological edge.” He then pledged to significantly increase funding for NIH and NSF, honor science’s independence, and rein- vigorate K–12 education in science and technol- ogy. Obama noted that his first visit to the Google campus in 2004 was inspiration for the chapter on innovation in his second book, The Audacity of Hope. Obama reiterated his support for science, inno- long, intense presidential campaign is final- vation, and technology in late 2007, addressing an ly behind us and a new president is ahead. audience at Google’s Mountain View campus, say- Science arguably had a higher profile in the ing, “We can use technology to help achieve univer- 2008A campaign than in any other modern presiden- sal health care, to reach for a clean energy future, and tial campaign, and President-elect Barack Obama to ensure that young Americans compete and win in emerged as the most vocal pro-science president the global economy. … If America recommits itself elected in recent times. What does this mean for to science and innovation, we can lead the world to science research funding and science policy? Does it a new future of productivity and prosperity.” present opportunities for statisticians? After winning the Pennsylvania primary on April 22, 2008, Clinton promised, “We will end the war Science in the Campaign on science and have a renewed commitment to sci- Looking back at the campaigns, science entered ence and research.” relatively early and often, albeit with a low pro- Obama’s support for science continued through file and mostly via democratic candidates. Both the rest of his campaign, including during a debate Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton had “innova- with Sen. John McCain. (Obama’s support has con- tion agendas”—in the same spirit as the National tinued into the transition. During his December 7 Academies’ “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” appearance on Meet the Press, he said he would be report, Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s Innovation Agenda, interested in having lectures on science in the White and President George W. Bush’s American House.) While I found no mention of science fund- Competitiveness Initiative—in which, among ing in any of McCain’s speeches, his campaign issued many ‘innovation’ profiles, they promised to dou- statements pledging full funding of the America ble spending for basic research. COMPETES Act, which is essentially the legislative enactment of the “Gathering Storm” report.

January 2009 Amstat News 15 Influence but no Debate Some might ask why this year’s candidates didn’t In December 2007, Science Debate 2008 was accept the Science Debate 2008 invite. Is it because launched with the goal of hosting a campaign debate scientists and those for whom science is a key issue on issues relating to science. While a science debate make up too small a voting bloc? According to Joe wasn’t realized, Science Debate 2008 was successful Trippi, the prominent campaign manager for Gov. in raising the profile of science in the campaigns. Howard Dean, the answer is “no.” Rather, he con- With the support of tens of thousands of scientists; tends there would be too much at risk in a debate citizens; leaders from industry, academia, and gov- on science issues and tendered that questions on ernment; and scientific institutions, including the stem cell research or when life begins would be a ASA, they received detailed answers from Obama no-win situation. and McCain to 14 questions on topics ranging from For those asking if there will ever be a presi- climate change and stem cells to innovation and dential campaign debate on science issues, Trippi’s scientific integrity. Science Debate 2008 organiz- advice would be to limit the scope of the debate to ers reported 800 million media impressions to the climate change, energy independence, and health Science Debate 2008 initiative. care. Others contend that pursuing a science debate The influence of science in the 2008 presidential is not the most prudent approach. David Goldston, campaign was a vast improvement over the 2004 cam- chief of staff for former House Science Committee paign, when a group of science societies and universi- Chair Sherwood Boehlert, suggested in an early ties invited Sen. John Kerry and Bush to participate in 2008 Nature column that such a debate could back- a virtual town hall meeting on science and technology fire and listed many considerations, including the using teleconferencing capabilities. With a noncom- “politicization” of science. mittal reply from the Kerry campaign and no reply Science Debate 2008 wasn’t alone in promot- from Bush, the virtual town hall meeting vaporized. ing science in the presidential campaigns. While There is no question that former Vice President Al I won’t catalog all the interactions of science with Gore was a strong science and technology supporter, the campaigns, I’ll highlight a few. Inspired by a most notably for climate change and promoting the 2006 Nature article by Thomas Kalil—a science spread of the Internet, but he did not promote those and technology official for President Bill Clinton positions in his 2000 campaign as much as the 2008 and a member of Obama’s transition team—urging candidates promoted theirs. [As a historical aside, we that scientists start organizing “[t]o maximize the shouldn’t forget that as a senator, Gore reached out resources allocated to science and technology dur- to the ASA in 2000 for input on global warming, ing the next U.S. administration,” AAAS and AAU met with six ASA members, and addressed the 1991 teamed to coordinate activities and disseminate ASA Winter Conference in New Orleans.] information. They came closest to a science debate, Many factors account for the elevated influence hosting representatives of the Clinton and Obama of science in the 2008 campaign, including the per- campaigns at their annual meeting in Boston. ception of America’s slipping science and technolo- Scientists and Engineers for America (SEA) also gy edge; the growing concerns over climate change, played an important role in promoting science, not energy, and health; Bush’s position on stem cells and just in the presidential campaign, but for all can- other science policy issues; and the emerging activ- didates who took the time to respond to the SEA ism and sophistication of scientists. It will be inter- questionnaire. Illustrating the access of the science esting to see if this is the apex of science’s influence advocacy community to the campaigns, representa- or just the beginning. tives of the Task Force on the Future of American Innovation— a coalition that advocates the funding of basic research in physical sciences and engineer- ASA Science Policy Actions ing—met with the campaigns of Clinton, Obama, and McCain, and senior representatives of Obama ASA Board endorses H.R. 7069, a bill to make the U.S. Census and McCain sat down with the task force this sum- Bureau independent (see accompanying story on p. 5) mer and early fall. ASA signs letters urging quick appointment of President Obama census director in new administration According to a New York Times analysis, the annual ASA signs letter in support of Decennial Census budget cost of Obama’s publicly stated science, technology, and innovation proposals is $85.6 billion, including ASA nominates members for Census Advisory $28 billion for the cost of doubling basic research Committee on the Hispanic Population funding. This is a sizable fraction (approaching

16 Amstat News January 2009 10%) of the total discretionary funding of the feder- al government for 2009. With a federal budget that was already tight before the financial crisis, it will How seriously Obama treats science may be be difficult to come up with new funding for these proposals, leaving the administration little alter- “ judged by his response to the community’s native but to find the funding by cutting existing programs. While there is no question that the new urging that the science advisor position be administration will have different priorities than the elevated to cabinet status. current administration, it is doubtful it will be able to fund all its promises in the first year. The fiscal ” year 2010 budget request, expected in the spring, will be very telling. It is safer to assume quick action on the policy isticians to make our case. We must educate poli- front, where funding is not the primary obstacle. cymakers about what statisticians can do One can expect changes to policies on cli- to address the various challenges our mate change and federal funding for country faces. Policymakers and stem cell research. Obama also has their staffs have little knowledge promised to respect the indepen- appreciation for the powerful dence of scientists, an issue many tools of statistics. scientists have had with the Bush I recently accompanied administration (and the origins of some of our members to the references above to the “war meetings with congressional on science”). One also can expect committee staffers to discuss quick environmental actions and a climate change issues. The greater emphasis on energy efficien- concepts of decision support, cy, conservation, and alternative ener- uncertainty management, and gies within the federal government. the many other assets statisticians Obama’s appointments to date are can bring to the table were new to the encouraging. Perhaps in response to calls for an staff. Unfortunately, the ASA also was new to them. early appointment, Obama has already selected On the bright side, the congressional staff welcomed John Holdren of Harvard University as his science the meetings with ASA members and the contribu- advisor. (The ASA signed a letter supporting such tions we can make. an early appointment. The letter, signed by 178 Obama’s position on science’s independence organizations, further urges that the science advi- could bode well for the federal statistical agencies, sor position be elevated to cabinet status.) The for which autonomy is a key issue. As one exam- Obama team also has selected PhD scientists to ple, the ASA Board just endorsed Rep. Carolyn head the Department of Energy and NOAA and Maloney’s (D-NY) bill to make the U.S. Census is expected to create a chief technology officer. Bureau an independent agency, removing it from the auspices of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Opportunity for the Statistical and she is expected to reintroduce her bill in the Community 111th Congress. Supporting this bill will be one of The Obama campaign was known for its savvy, the ASA’s priorities in the new Congress. To promote innovative strategies and sophisticated use of tech- the autonomy of the federal statistical agencies, we nology. We can expect science- and evidence-based need to educate Congress and the new administra- decisions to prevail in the Obama administration. tion about the invaluable role of the federal statisti- Further, Nate Silver’s fivethirtyeight.com and other cal system and the importance of insulation from sites raised the profile for the power of statistics. outside influence. While I found no evidence, I would speculate that We have our work cut out for us to raise the pro- the Obama campaign used elements of analytics— file of the statistics discipline and statisticians. But, beyond data mining—in its campaign. What, if we have considerable contributions to make and we anything, does this environment portend for the will be working in a favorable environment. If you statistics community? have any comments, I can be reached by email at I contend that this respect for science and its [email protected]. n potential provides significant opportunities for statisticians. However, it is incumbent upon stat-

January 2009 Amstat News 17 Shop ASA

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18 Amstat News January 2009 Master’s Notebook What Do Statisticians and Biostatisticians Do? Keith Crank, ASA Assistant Director for Research and Graduate Education

n the May 2008 issue of are appropriate and how to Amstat News, a letter from a interpret the results. biostatistics graduate student, But, maybe Stephanie Stephanie,I written to me was would be better off going printed. Stephanie pointed out for her PhD. If she wants what got her interested in pursu- to do research, develop new ing a graduate degree in biostatis- theory or methodology, or tics and she asked what statisti- obtain a deeper understand- cians and biostatisticians do, ing of current theory and exactly. Although we requested methodology, this would be input from the community, we a reasonable option. This received very few responses, also could be done from a and most of those responses did not answer the job, but there would likely be less time to devote to question. it. It’s also possible that the job market will push her You also But Stephanie will soon be making a decision about back into a PhD program. While I believe there is should real- what to do. Should she continue to the PhD program? still a demand for master’s-level biostatisticians, there “ Should she get a job? And, if so, what kind of job are likely to be fewer positions available in the cur- ize that the would suit her? I cannot answer these questions, but I rent economic climate. The choice may be between can provide some comments that may be useful. settling for a less-than-desirable job and staying in decision you One of the people who did respond was from the school for a few more years. make now financial industry. He pointed out the importance of As in most disciplines, I believe there are statis- master’s-level statisticians running regressions to deter- tics and biostatistics jobs that run the gamut from does not mine whether customers were good credit risks, as well those in which someone tells you (more or less) all necessarily as to design experiments to test marketing strategies. the statistical procedures you should follow to those His response led me to believe that he has a lot of inde- in which you have total freedom in making those determine pendence in deciding what to do. decisions. Most jobs will fall somewhere in between. Another respondent agreed with Stephanie that And while there are probably people at all educa- your career discussions with faculty at her undergraduate insti- tional levels throughout the spectrum, the jobs with path for the tution were important in leading her into a graduate the most flexibility are more likely to be filled by biostatistics program. She also said, “We learned that statisticians and biostatisticians with PhDs, while rest of your master’s students would be doing more hands-on the ones with the least flexibility are more likely to life. data analysis, whereas PhD students would likely be be filled with bachelor’s- and master’s-level (bio)stat- doing more theoretical work and designing studies isticians. The key is to figure out where along the ” and writing papers.” spectrum you would be happy (recognizing that this I think this is too much of a generalization. In an is likely to change as you gain experience) and find a organization with a large number of PhD (bio)statisti- job that is neither too challenging nor too boring. cians, the people without the PhD are likely to spend Finally, you also should realize that the decision a lot of time organizing data and running computer you make now does not necessarily determine your programs. The PhDs, on the other hand, are prob- career path for the rest of your life. Taking a job now ably deciding what programs to run, what the output does not prevent you from going back to school later, means, and what should be in a report. Some, but not nor does continuing toward your PhD prevent you all, may be doing theoretical work. from taking a job before obtaining the PhD. In an organization with few PhD (bio)statisticians Good luck, Stephanie, and let me know how things (relative to the number of non-PhD (bio)statisticians), turn out. those with a master’s degree are going to have a lot To contact me, send an email to [email protected]. of flexibility in what they do and more opportunities Questions or comments about this article, as well as to make decisions about what statistical procedures suggestions for future articles, are always welcome. n

January 2009 Amstat News 19 The ASA Brings the Library to Your Desktop

Did you know your ASA membership includes online access to the Journal of the American Statistical Association Journal of Business & Economic Statistics and The American Statistician?

Log in at MEMBERS ONLY today to access your journals! www.amstat.org/membersonly

20 Amstat News January 2009 MEETINGS

First Comes DC’s History, Then Comes JSM 2009

he host city for JSM 2009, Washington, DC, was established in 1791 and named the permanent capital of the United States in 1800. The District of Columbia, named after ChristopherT Columbus, is home to more than 550,000 people and has a long and rich history. The follow- ing timeline illustrates the city’s historical development. George Washington; copy of painting by Gilbert Stuart; 1931–1932; RG 148; Records of Commissions of the June 21, 1788–The Legislative Branch; George 1788 U.S. Constitution, as Washington Bicentennial adopted by the Constitutional Commission; www.usa.gov Convention, is ratified by the states. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17th Century 17, gives Congress authority “to 1600–Piscataway Native exercise exclusive legislation in Americans live in the all cases whatsoever, over such Washington, DC area . District (not exceeding 10 miles square) as may by cession of particular states, and the accep- 18th Century tance of Congress, become the May 15, 1751–The seat of the government of the Maryland Assembly appoints United States.” commissioners to lay a town on January 24, 1791–President the Potomac River, above the George Washington selects a site January 22, 1791–George mouth of Rock Creek, on 60 that includes portions of Maryland Washington appoints Thomas acres of land to be purchased and Virginia. Johnson and Daniel Carroll from George Gordon and of Rock Creek, representing George Beall. This settlement Maryland, and David Stuart, becomes Georgetown. representing Virginia, as “com- 19th Century December 1, 1800–The missioners for surveying the federal capital is transferred from District of (sic) Territory September 17, Philadelphia to the site on the accepted by the said [Residency 1787–Members of the Potomac River, now called the City Act of 1790] for the permanent Constitutional Convention sign of Washington, in the territory of seat of the Government of the the Constitution. Columbia. At the time of the 1800 United States.” census, the population of the new capital included 10,066 whites, 793 free blacks, and 3,244 slaves.

February 27, 1801–Congress divides the [District] into the coun- ties of Washington and Alexandria.

January 2009 Amstat News 21 May 3, 1802–Congress grants the City of Washington January 8, 1867–Congress its first municipal charter. grants black males the right to Voters, defined as white males vote in local elections. who pay taxes and have lived in the city for at least a year, receive the right to elect a 12-member June 1, 1871–The elected council. The president appoints mayor and council of the City the mayor. of Washington and Georgetown and the County Levy Court are abolished by Congress May 4, 1812–Congress and replaced by a governor amends the charter of the City and council appointed by the of Washington to provide for an 1846–The Smithsonian president. An elected House eight-member board of alder- Institute is established. of Delegates and a nonvoting men and a 12-member common delegate to Congress are cre- council. The aldermen and com- ated. In this act, the jurisdic- mon council elect the mayor. July 9, 1846–Congress tion and territorial government passes a law returning the city came to be called the District of of Alexandria and Alexandria Columbia, thus combining the County to the state of Virginia. governments of Georgetown, the City of Washington, and the County of Washington. A seal and motto, Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All), are adopted for the District of Columbia.

June 20, 1874–The territo- rial government of the District of Columbia, including the nonvoting delegate to Congress, is abolished. The president appoints three temporary com- missioners and a subordinate military engineer.

June 11, 1878–In the Organic Act of 1878, Congress approves the establishment of the District of Columbia gov- ernment as a municipal corpora- Sketched by F. Dielman, Harper’s Weekly, May 12, 1866 tion governed by three presiden- tially appointed commissioners, 1814–English troops burn the two civilian commissioners, Capitol and other federal build- April 16, 1862–Congress and a commissioner from the ings during the War of 1812. abolishes slavery in the federal military corps of engineers. This district (the City of Washington, form of government lasted until Washington County, and August of 1967. March 15, 1820–Under the Georgetown). This action pre- Act of 1820, Congress amends dates both the Emancipation the Charter of the City of Proclamation and the adop- 1888–Washington Monument Washington, providing for the tion of the 13th Amendment opens to the public. direct election of the mayor by to the Constitution. resident voters.

22 Amstat News January 2009 20th Century July 4, 1906–The District January 2, 1975–The newly Building, on 14th Street and elected Mayor Walter Washington Pennsylvania Avenue, becomes and first elected council take the official City Hall. office.

1914–The Lincoln Memorial February 3, 1976–The first is complete. election for advisory neighbor- hood commissioners is held.

March 29, 1978–The first segment of the Metrorail Red January 2, 1992–Mayor Line opens. Sharon Pratt Dixon, the first woman mayor, takes office.

August 22, 1978–Congress approves the District of Columbia January 2, 1995–Marion Barry Voting Rights Amendment, takes office for an unprecedented which would give District resi- fourth term as mayor of the District dents voting representation in the of Columbia. July 1, 1952–The House and Senate. The proposed Reorganization Plan of 1952 constitutional amendment was transfers the functions of more not ratified by the necessary num- April 17, 1995–President than 50 boards to the three ber of states (38) within the allot- Clinton signed the law creating a commissioners. ted seven years. presidentially appointed District of Columbia financial control board and a mayor-appointed chief March 29, 1961–The 23rd January 2, 1979–Mayor financial officer. Amendment to the Constitution Marion Barry takes office. JSM will take place gives District residents the right to August 1–6 in vote for president. July 13, 1995–The newly 2009. For all details November 4, 1980–District appointed financial control board pertaining to the electors approve the District holds its first public meeting. April 22, 1968–District resi- meeting, visit of Columbia Statehood dents receive the right to elect a www.amstat.org/ Constitutional Convention Board of Education. meetings/2009/jsm. of 1979, which became DC February 14, 1996–Mayor Law 3–171 and which called Barry announces a transforma- tion plan to reduce the size of December 24, 1973– for convening a state constitu- tional convention. government and increase its effi- Congress approves the District of ciency. Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization November 2, 1982–After Act, P.L. 93–198, which estab- the constitutional convention, January 2, 1999–Former may- lishes an elected mayor and a constitution for the State of or-appointed chief financial officer 13-member council. New Columbia is ratified by Anthony A. Williams begins his first District voters. term as mayor of Washington, DC. May 7, 1974–Voters of the District of Columbia approve by October 1, 1984–The referendum the District charter 21st Century District enters the municipal September 11, 2001–Terrorist and the establishment of advisory bond market. attack destroys part of the Pentagon. neighborhood commissions. General elections are held for mayor and council on November 1992–The House of January 2, 2007–Adrian 5, 1974. Representatives approves state- Fenty is the fifth elected mayor of hood for Washington, DC, but Washington, DC. the Senate does not.

January 2009 Amstat News 23 12th Biennial Symposium on Statistical Methods REGISTRATIONFORM April 7–8, 2009 (Short Courses April 6) Holiday Inn Conference Center, Decatur, Georgia www.cdc.gov/sag

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Print or type all information and retain a copy for your records. REGISTRATION FEES

2. Use a separate form for each registrant. SYMPOSIUM 3. Mail form with payment to CDCSY Registration, c/o American ❑ Regular Registrant $50 $______Statistical Association, 732 North Washington Street, ❑ Alexandria, VA 22314. Fax form (credit card only) to CDC/ATSDR Federal Employee no charge (703) 684-2037. ❑ Student (with valid ID) $25 $______4. Registration form must be received by March 24, 2009, to print and ship registration packets. Forms received after March 24, Short Courses 2009, will not be processed. SC1: 8:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Methodological Issues in Forms Received Without Payment Will Not Be Processed Biosurveillance—Ron Fricker ❑ Regular Registrant $125 $______ATTENDEE INFORMATION ❑ CDC/ATSDR Federal Employee no charge ❑ Student (with valid ID) - $75 $______

Name SC2: 1:00 p.m.– 4:30 p.m. Information Visualization— Wendy Martinez Government ID # (if known) ❑ Regular Registrant $125 $______❑ CDC/ATSDR Federal Employee no charge

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❑ Check here if you would like your ASA customer contact information updated with your meeting contact information. CANCELLATION POLICY: All cancellations must be submitted in writing. Email: [email protected]; Fax: (703) 684-2037; Mail: CDCSY Registration, c/o American Statistical Association, 732 North Washington Street, Alexandria, VA This meeting is ADA accessible. 22314. Cancellations received by 11:59 p.m., EDT, March 24, 2009, will incur a ❑ Please check here if you need special services 25% cancellation fee for each item cancelled. Cancellations received after March due to a disability and attach a statement regarding your needs. 24, 2009, will not be refunded. EDUCATION

CAUSE Reports Fun, Fun, Fun browsable, well-annotated, and searchable index of thousands of resources that are free and available for use in the classroom. Unique components of the collection include a selection of high-quality, peer- reviewed resources and activities; a group of activi- ties that include learning objectives, lesson plans, student handouts, and assessment items organized by specific pedagogical technique; a broad-based annotated bibliography of several thousand statis- tics education publications; several hundred items for ‘fun’ learning, such as cartoons, songs, quotes, poems, jokes, videos, and puzzles; and dozens of archived video and sound recordings from the CAUSE monthly webinar series. n LearnSTAT Courses for Spring 2009

A CAUSE-commissioned cartoon that is part of the CAUSEweb collection and avail- Evaluating Probability of Success for Internal able for free noncommercial use by statistics teachers. Cartoon by John Landers ©. Provided by permission. Decisionmaking in Early Drug Development Presenters: Narinder Nangia, Martin King, and Jane Qian of he Consortium for the Advancement of Abbott Laboratories Undergraduate Statistics Education’s Half-day Course: Thursday, April 2 (CAUSE’s) second A-Mu-sing Competition Location: Kansas City, Missouri Tis officially open. Any teacher, student, or practitio- ner of statistics is eligible to enter unpublished Fundamental Statistics Concepts in Presenting Data: examples of statistics jokes, cartoons, songs, poems, Principles for Constructing Better Graphics or videos for a chance to win cash prizes, publica- Presenter: Rafe Donahue, Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt tion on CAUSEweb, and recognition at the U.S. University Medical Center Conference on Teaching Statistics (USCOTS) One-day Course: Friday, April 17 2009. The entry deadline is April Fool’s Day (April Location: Alexandria, Virginia 1), 2009. See www.CAUSEweb.org/contest for com- plete rules and an entry form. Survival Analysis in Clinical Trials CAUSE is sponsoring two workshops for statis- Presenter: Danyu Lin, Department of Biostatistics, The University tics instructors prior to USCOTS that will be held of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Columbus, Ohio, June 25–27, 2009. Although One-day Course: Thursday, April 30 there is no registration or materials fee to attend a Location: Teaneck, New Jersey workshop, registration is required and space is lim- ited. Details of the workshop offerings can be found Introduction to Meta-Analysis at www.causeweb.org/workshop. Presenter: Michael Borenstein, Biostat Remember to visit the CAUSEweb digital library One-day Course: Friday, May 1 of resources for undergraduate statistics teachers at Location: Teaneck, New Jersey www.CAUSEweb.org. There, you’ll find a convenient, For course descriptions and to register, visit the LearnSTAT Courses page in the Education section at www.amstat.org.

January 2009 Amstat News 25 PEOPLE NEWS

Nancy Bates Nancy Bates was recently selected as senior researcher for the Survey Methodology Department at the U.S. Census Bureau. Bates began her career at the bureau as a survey statistician in the Center for Survey Methods Research. Hoerl Ellenberg Williams She served as special assistant to the associate director for from NBC and GE Capital National Institute of Allergy Biostatistics at the University methodology and standards to GE Aircraft Engines and Infectious Diseases and of Michigan at Ann Arbor. and staff group leader for and GE Power Systems. in the Biometric Research Williams served as vice initial phase evaluations A Fellow of both the ASA Branch in the Cancer president of the ASA and in the former Planning, and the American Society Therapy Evaluation Program president of the Society Research, and Evaluation for Quality (ASQ), he won at the National Cancer for Clinical Trials. He is a Division. Currently, Bates is ASQ’s 2001 Brumbaugh Institute. member of the NISS board lead researcher for the 2010 Award for the published Ellenberg is a Fellow of trustees and a Fellow Communications Campaign. paper with the greatest of the ASA, the Society of the ASA, Society for Her position of record is in impact on industrial quality for Clinical Trials, and the Clinical Trials, American the demographic surveys control applications. Hoerl American Association for College of Epidemiology, division, where she conducts is a coauthor of Statistical the Advancement of Science. and American Heart survey research to improve Thinking: Improving Business She is an elected member of Association. He has served the U.S. Census Bureau Performance, an innovative the International Statistical as a member of the ENAR demographic surveys. guide to the strategic use of Institute. Her book, Data Regional Committee and Bates holds a bachelor’s data and statistics in solving Monitoring Committees in as a member of several degree in public administra- business problems. Clinical Trials: A Practical NIH review committees tion and a master’s degree Ellenberg is associate Perspective, coauthored with and data and safety moni- in applied sociology, both dean for clinical research Thomas Fleming and David toring boards. from the University of at the University of DeMets, was named Wiley Oklahoma. She resides in Pennsylvania. Her research Europe Statistics Book of Washington, DC. focuses on designing, con- the Year for 2002. ducting, and analyzing data Williams is vice presi- from clinical trials. She has dent of global biomedical Roger Hoerl, published extensively in data sciences at Amgen. He Susan Ellenberg, both statistical and medical joined Amgen in August and George journals, on topics includ- 2002. Previously, he served ing surrogate endpoints, as vice president of biosta- Williams data-monitoring commit- tistics and programming The National Institute of tees, clinical trial designs, at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Statistical Sciences’ cor- adverse event monitoring, He joined Bristol-Myers poration members voted vaccine safety, and special Squibb in December of Hosmer unanimously to elect Roger issues in cancer and AIDS 2001 after retiring from Hoerl, Susan Ellenberg, trials. From 1993 to 2004, Merck Research Laboratories David W. Hosmer and George Williams to she served as director of the as senior vice president of three-year terms on the Office of Biostatistics and biostatistics and research ­­­­David W. Hosmer Jr. was board of trustees. The elec- Epidemiology in the Center data systems. From 1980 chosen recently to receive tions took place at the for Biologics Evaluation to 1991, Williams was the 2009 Mosteller award NISS annual meeting on and Research (CBER) at the founding chair of the by the Boston Chapter of November 7. the U.S. Food and Drug Department of Biostatistics the ASA (serving members Hoerl is manager of GE Administration. Prior to and Epidemiology at in Massachusetts, Vermont, Research & Development’s that, she served as the first the Cleveland Clinic New Hampshire, and Applied Statistics Lab. He chief of the Biostatistics Foundation, and from 1972 Maine). The award will be partners on research projects Research Branch in the to 1980, he was on the fac- presented at an evening with GE businesses ranging Division of AIDS at the ulty of the Department of chapter meeting on February

26 Amstat News January 2009 12 at Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts. AERA Inducts Fellows Hosmer is being recognized A number of ASA members were recently selected for the inaugural for his many contribu- American Educational Research Association (AERA) Fellows Program. tions, including excellence They are being recognized for either their exceptional scientific or in teaching, guidance, and scholarly contributions to education research or their significant con- mentorship of students; tributions to the field through development of research opportunities extensive and significant and settings that are nationally and internationally recognized. The applied and methodological fellows will be inducted at the AERA annual meeting in San Diego, research; and service to the California, in April of 2009. Boston Chapter, the ASA, The new AERA Fellows who are also ASA members include the following: and the profession. Peter M. Bentler, University of California, Los Angeles James R. Chromy, RTI International Michael P. Cohen, Statistical Consultant Emerson J. Elliott, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education Larry V. Hedges, Northwestern University Paul W. Holland, Paul Holland Consulting Corporation Ingram Olkin, Stanford University Stephen W. Raudenbush, University of Chicago Marilyn M. Seastrom, National Center for Education Statistics Juliet Popper Shaffer, University of California-Berkeley Judith D. Singer, Mosteller Harvard University Patrick Suppes, Stanford University David M. Thissen, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Hosmer is professor emeritus at the University Howard Wainer, National Board of Medical Examiners of Massachusetts/Amherst, Andrew A. White, National Center for Education Statistics where he served on the fac- For information about AERA, visit www.aera.net. ulty from 1973–2002 and was instrumental in develop- ing the biostatistics program. He served on more than 100 thesis committees and super- STATISTICIANS IN THE NEWS vised eight doctoral disserta- Read about your colleagues and friends in the news. Go to tions. Hosmer is the author of two popular and best- www.amstat.org and click on “Statisticians in the News.” selling textbooks, Applied Logistic Regression and Man Behind the Creative Class Stats Shares Ideas on Detroit Applied Survival Analysis. He Kevin Stolarick, the “Official Statistician of the Creative Class,” talks to Terry Parris also developed the Hosmer- Jr. of Model D about what makes a city cool. Lemeshow goodness-of-fit Florence Nightingale: The Passionate Statistician test to assess the fit of the Julie Rehmeyer of Science News shares some highlights from the life of one logistic regression model. of the world’s most popular applied statisticians: Florence Nightingale. Hosmer continues to teach applied logistic regression Political Polling Expert Nate Silver Signs Two Book Deals and applied survival analy- According to the online magazine Huffington Post, statistician Nate sis in the Department of Silver, the author of the web site FiveThirtyEight.com, has two book Mathematics and Statistics proposals in the works: one about the art of prediction and the other at the University of Vermont a Freakonomics-style guide to the mechanics of electoral politics. and as short courses during professional meetings.

January 2009 Amstat News 27 The Mosteller award is presented annually by Students Win Undergraduate the Boston Chapter and is named after Fred Mosteller, the first recipi- Research Awards ent of the award. Other recipients include Herman Chernoff, Marvin Zelen, Ralph D’Agostino, William DuMouchel, Don Rubin, Nan Laird, David Hoaglin, Richard Goldstein, Arlene Ash, Cyrus Mehta, Alan Gelfand, Alan Zaslavsky, John McKenzie Jr., Louise Ryan, Mei-Ling Lee, Carl Morris, L. J. Wei, and From left, Steven Somers, Marshall Gaddis, Kristen Gore, Nicole Bader, Erika Burger, Ashley Myers, and Richard DeVeaux. Jennifer James at the Capitol, November 22, 2008

Obituary en North Carolina State University undergraduate students majoring in statistics applied for university-wide undergraduate research awards and won. Six of the students Hendrik S. Konijn are participating in the NSF-sponsored Computation for Undergraduates in Statistics TProgram (CUSP) and two are participating in the NSF-sponsored Vertical Integration of Hendrik Konijn, a retired Research and Graduate Education (VIGRE) program. The NCSU-CUSP prepares students to professor of statistics, died engage in a significant research experience and to be fluent in the languages of computing, in Oakland, California, on mathematics, and statistics. October 14. He was 90. The students participated in four team projects, and each of four projects won $750 for a Konijn helped set up the total of $3,000 in awards. The students and their projects are as follows: Department of Statistics at Tel Aviv University and Jason Leone and Jamie Pearce “Forecasting Wildfires and Examining the Impact of taught in the departments Global Climate Change” Also contributing is Stephanie Bruns, who will be graduating in of mathematics and eco- December. The work is being done for Linda Chappell of the Environmental Protection nomics at UC Berkeley, Agency (EPA). the University of Sydney Steven Somers, Ashley Myers, and Erika Burger “Can Blood Lead Levels in Children (Australia), Yale, and the Be Reduced?” The work is being done for Barry Nussbaum, chief statistician at the EPA. University of Minnesota. He also taught in the Graduate Jennifer James, Camille Clark, and William Jeff Rice “Crustal Matter: Exploring the Division of the City Differences Between Ambient Air Samples and Emission Inventories” The work is being University of New York. done for Tom Pace and Josh Drukenbrod of the EPA. During World War Kristen Gore and Nicole Bader “Meteorologically Adjusted Fine Particulate Matter II, Konijn worked in Trend Analysis” Also contributing is Marshall Gaddis. The work is being done for Washington, DC, for George Bridgers, Bebhinn Do, and Pat Bello of the North Carolina Department of the the National Bureau of Environment and Natural Resources. Economic Research, the “Mentored research experience is enhancing the communication and technical skills of our Combined Shipping undergraduate students,” said Sastry Pantula, head of the Department of Statistics at North Adjustment Board, and the Carolina State University. “In addition, working with problems that are of interest to EPA and Office of Strategic Services. other agencies is gratifying to our students and brings awareness to important societal issues.” Donations in honor of Seven of the students presented their work at the 2008 Sigma Xi Annual Meeting and his memory may be made Student Research Conference in Washington, DC, on November 21, and four students (one to the Jewish National Fund will graduate in December and is not eligible to apply for the undergraduate award) presented (www.jnf.org) or the General their work at the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium Fund of Camphill Village, (SNCURCS) in Boone, North Carolina, on November 22. Of the 246 undergraduate students Office of Development, 84 from 26 universities and colleges, the SNCURCS poster by Jason Leone, Jamie Pearce, and Camphill Road, Copake, Stephanie Bruns was highlighted in a note to Erskine B. Bowles, president of The University n NY 12516. of North Carolina as “the team of NCSU statistics students studying the link between global warming and increasing annual damage from wildfires.” n

28 Amstat News January 2009 AWARD DEADLINES AND INFORMATION

Deadlines and Contact Information for ASA National Jeanne E. Griffith Awards, Special Lectureships, and COPSS Awards Mentoring Award March 3, 2009 John H. Thompson The Jeanne E. Griffith ASA Fellows Award National Opinion Research Center 55 E. Monroe Street, Suite 4800 Mentoring Award was estab- Visit www.amstat.org/fellows for nomination informa- Chicago, IL 60603-5805 tion. If you have questions, contact the committee chair. lished to honor Griffith, who [email protected] died in August of 2001 after working for more than 25 March 5, 2009 Jai Won Choi SPAIG Award Chair, SPAIG Award years in the federal statisti- NCHS, 153 Brickinridge Dr. Visit www.svsu.edu/orgs/spaig for nomination informa- North Augusta, SC 29841 cal system. Throughout her tion. If you have questions, contact the committee chair. [email protected] career, and especially in her latter senior management Eleanor Feingold March 15, 2009 Chair, Gertrude M. Cox Scholarship Committee positions at the National ASA Gertrude M. Cox Scholarship University of Pittsburgh Center for Education Graduate School of Public Health Visit www.amstat.org/awards/ 130 DeSoto St. A310 Statistics and National index cfm?fuseaction=cox-scholarship for Pittsburgh, PA 15261-0001 information and application forms. If you have ques- Science Foundation, one of [email protected] tions, contact the committee chair. Griffith’s highest priorities was to mentor and encour- March 15, 2009 Peter A. (Tony) Lachenbruch age younger staff at all levels ASA Founders Award Chair, Founders Award Committee Oregon State University Visit www.amstat.org/awards/index. to learn, grow, and recognize Department of Public Health cfm?fuseaction=founders-awards for nomination infor- 256 Waldo Hall and seize career opportuni- mation. If you have questions, contact the committee Corvallis, OR 97331-6406 chair. ties as they came along. [email protected] The American Statistical March 15, 2009 Neil R. Ullman Association and its ASA W. J. Youden Award in Interlaboratory Testing Chair, W. J. Youden Award Committee Ullman Associates Government Statistics Visit www.amstat.org/awards/index. 4 Sarazen Court cfm?fuseaction=youden for nomination information. If Section now manage the Florham Park, NJ 07932-2714 you have questions, contact the committee chair. award. The Washington [email protected] Statistical Society, the ASA’s March 15, 2009 Raymond Lam Social Statistics Section, and ASA Statistics in Chemistry Award Chair, SPES Committee on Chemometrics BARDS Experimental Medicine Statistics Visit www.amstat.org/awards/index. the Council of Professional Merck Research Labs, RY34-A304 cfm?fuseaction=statchem for nomination information. If P.O. Box 2000 Associations on Federal you have questions, contact the committee chair. Rahway, NJ 07065 Statistics are cosponsors. [email protected] Nominations for 2009 are April 1, 2009 Daniel Zelterman being accepted now through ASA Samuel S. Wilks Memorial Medal Chair, S. Wilks Memorial Medal Committee Dept. of Epidemiology & Public Health Visit www.amstat.org/awards/index. March 27. Members of the Box 208034 Yale Station cfm?fuseaction=wilks for nomination information. If you award committee will decide New Haven, CT 06520-8034 have questions, contact the committee chair. the winner by May 8. The [email protected] award will consist of a $1,000 April 1, 2009 Barry I. Graubard honorarium and a citation, ASA Award of Outstanding Statistical Application Chair, Award of Outstanding Statistical Application Committee Visit www.amstat.org/awards/index. which will be presented at National Cancer Institute cfm?fuseaction=outstanding-application for nomina- Biostatistics Branch a ceremony arranged by the tion information. If you have questions, contact the 6120 Executive Blvd. committee chair. cosponsors in June of 2009. Bethesda, MD 20852 The winning mentor will [email protected] be selected for his or her April 1, 2009 Elaine Zanutto efforts in supporting the work ASA Edward C. Bryant Scholarship Chair, Edward C. Bryant Scholarship Committee National Analysts Visit www.amstat.org/awards/index. and developing the careers 1835 Market St., 25th Floor cfm?fuseaction=bryant for information and application Philadelphia, PA 19103-2984 of junior staff. Examples of forms. If you have questions, contact the committee [email protected] typical mentoring activi- chair. ties include the following: April 15, 2009 Telba Z. Irony ASA Excellence in Statistical Reporting Award Chair, Excellence in Statistical Reporting Advising Award Committee junior staff to Visit www.amstat.org/awards/index.cfm?fuseaction=ex Food and Drug Administration cellenceinstatsreports for information and nomination help them create career 1350 Piccard Dr. HFZ-542 forms. If you have questions, contact the committee Rockville, MD 20850-4307 opportunities, network- chair. ing skills, and contacts for [email protected] growth and development

January 2009 Amstat News 29 Counseling junior staff Julius Shiskin be nominated. The award and providing resources to will be presented with an help develop their technical Award honorarium of $750, plus writing, analysis, presenta- Nominations are invited for additional recognition from tion, and organizational the annual Julius Shiskin the sponsors. A nomination skills and knowledge Memorial Award for form and list of previous Economic Statistics. The recipients are available at Encouraging junior staff award is given in recognition www.amstat.org/sections/ growth and career develop- of unusually original and bus_econ/shiskin.html. ment through attendance important contributions to For questions or more and oral presentations the development of economic information, contact Steven at meetings with higher- statistics or the use of statistics Paben, Julius Shiskin Award death in 1978, “Julie” was the level officials and the in interpreting the economy. Committee secretary, at commissioner of the Bureau staffs of other agencies Contributions are recog- [email protected] or of Labor Statistics. Earlier, he nized for statistical research, (202) 691-6147. Completed served as chief statistician for development of statistical nominations must be Becoming involved in pro- the Office of Management tools, application of informa- received by April 1, 2009. fessional associations, train- and Budget and the chief tion technology techniques, ing courses, and conferences economic statistician and use of economic statistical assistant director of the U.S. Mortimer programs, management of Motivating junior staff Census Bureau. Throughout statistical programs, or devel- Spiegelman Award and building self confi- his career, he was known oping public understanding dence through feedback as an innovator. At the The Statistics Section of the of measurement issues. on their efforts, being a bureau, he was instrumental American Public Health The award was established listener when needed, and in developing an electronic Association (APHA) invites in 1980 by the Washington creating a caring and sup- computer method for sea- nominations for the 2009 Statistical Society (WSS) portive environment sonal adjustment. In 1961, he Mortimer Spiegelman and is now cosponsored published Signals of Recession Award, honoring a stat- by the WSS, the National Serving as a role model and Recovery, which laid the istician who is age 40 or Association for Business for junior staff through groundwork for the calcula- younger and who has made Economics, and the Business professional expertise, tion of monthly economic outstanding contributions and Economics Statistics information, and insight; indicators, and he developed to health statistics. The Section of the ASA. balancing collegial and per- the monthly census report, award was established in The 2008 award was pre- sonal roles; and including “Business Conditions Digest,” 1970 and is presented annu- sented to William R. Bell everyone across rank, race, to disseminate the indicators ally at the APHA meeting. and Robert M. Groves. Bell ethnicity, and seniority to the public. In 1969, he was Candidates for the 2009 was recognized for innovative appointed chief statistician at award must have been born statistical research that led to OMB, where he developed in 1969 or later. Please sub- To nominate someone for improved economic statistics the policies and procedures mit a nominating letter— the 2009 award, fill out the through important contri- that govern the release of key including a description of form at www.amstat.org/ butions to the theory and economic indicators and cre- the candidate’s contribu- sections/sgovt/JEGform09.doc practice of seasonal adjust- ated a social indicators report. tions to public health, the or www.amstat.org/sections/ ment, small-area estimation, In 1973, he was selected candidate’s birthday, and sgovt/JEGform09.pdf and time series modeling. to head BLS, where he was the candidate’s CV—by and email it to jeanne Groves was recognized for instrumental in preserving the April 1, 2009. Up to three [email protected] innovative statistical research integrity and independence of supporting letters may be or mail it to the Jeanne E. that led to improved eco- the BLS labor force data and submitted. Nominations Griffith Mentoring Award nomic statistics through directed the most compre- should be addressed Committee, c/o American important contributions to hensive revision in the history to 2009 Spiegelman Statistical Association, the theory and practice of of the Consumer Price Index Award Committee, c/o 732 N. Washington survey methods for conduct- (CPI), which included a new Francesca Dominici, Chair, Street, Alexandria, VA ing sample surveys of house- CPI for all urban consumers. Department of Biostatistics, 22314-1943. For more holds and establishments. Nominations for the 2009 Bloomberg School of information, contact ASA Because the program was award are now being accept- Public Health, 615 N. representative Pam Craven initiated many years ago, ed. Individuals and groups Wolfe Street, Baltimore, at (703) 302-1860. statisticians and economists in the public or private sec- MD, 21205, or emailed often ask, “Who was Julius tor from any country may to [email protected]. n Shiskin?” At the time of his

30 Amstat News January 2009 SECTION NEWS

Biometrics JSM Sessions, Byar Award Top ‘To-Do’ List Page Moore, Biometrics Section Publications Officer

JSM Invited Sessions s part of the section’s member initiative, “Developing the Next Generation of Biostatisticians,” four propos- The Biometrics Section is pleased to sponsor the following als were recently funded, including the following: invited sessions at JSM 2009: A Nonparametric Approaches for High- Illustrating Biostatistical Research: An Audiovisual Vignette, Stacia DeSantis, Dimensional Data, organized by Annie Qu of the Medical University of South Carolina University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign North Carolina High-School Students: Recent Developments in Dimension Reduction, orga- Learning About Biostatistics, the Discipline, nized by Wensheng Guo of the University of Pennsylvania and the Job Opportunities, Jane Monaco, The Statistical Issues and Second Code of Life: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Epigenomics, organized by Rebecca Doerge Iowa Field of Dreams Conference of Purdue University and Jaya Satagopan of 2009, The University of Iowa Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center A Continued Effort to Recruit Future Biostatisticians The Issues of High Dimensionality and Missing in Arkansas High Schools, Page Moore and Songthip Data in Complex Epidemiological Studies, orga- Ounpraseuth, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences nized by Samiran Sinha of Texas A&M Congratulations to all whose projects are included in this Statistical Challenges in Personalized Medicine and important initiative. Many thanks to members of the mem- Genetic Guided Clinical Trials, organized by Colin bership initiatives subcommittee, chaired by Bonnie LaFleur, Wu of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for their excellent work. Time to Submit Abstracts for JSM mitted to the Byar award competition. Abstract submission opened December 1 for contributed Applicants must have held a doctorate in statistics, bio- and topic-contributed papers to be presented during JSM statistics, or a related quantitative field for three or fewer 2009, which will be held August 1–6 in Washington, DC. All years as of April 1 of the current year or be enrolled as a abstracts are due by February 2. See www.amstat.org/meetings/ doctoral student in statistics or biostatistics and in active jsm/2009 for more information. pursuit of a doctoral degree. They also must be first author Wensheng Guo, 2009 JSM Biometrics Section Program of the paper submitted and a current member of the ASA Chair, is collecting proposals for topic-contributed sessions Biometrics Section. (Membership in the ASA does not auto- and seeks volunteers to chair contributed sessions. If you are matically confer section membership. Applicants may join interested in organizing a topic-contributed session or would at the time of submission for a $3 annual membership fee.) like to chair a session, contact Guo at [email protected]. The paper may be submitted to a journal or under review, edu. The deadline for submitting topic-contributed session but may not have appeared online or in print at the time of proposals is December 20. the application or have been accepted for publication as of January 1, 2009. Finally, applicants must be scheduled to Nominations Sought present the submitted paper at JSM 2009 in Washington, Do you know a young investigator who is planning to submit DC, as a talk or poster presentation. an abstract for JSM 2009? If so, you may wish to tell him Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to submit or her that the ASA Biometrics Section is seeking nom- their abstracts to the Biometrics Section. Application materi- inations for the 2009 David P. Byar Young Investigator als should consist of the following in electronic format: a cover Award. This annual award is given to a young investigator letter certifying that the applicant meets the eligibility require- for best emerging work to be presented at JSM. The award ments, a current CV, and a copy of the finished paper (drafts is in memory of David Byar, who made significant contri- are not acceptable). butions to the development and application of statistical Applicants are invited to submit one copy each of supple- methods and was esteemed as an exceptional mentor dur- mentary published or in-press papers if they compose a body ing his career at the National Cancer Institute. The winner of scientific work related to the paper to be presented. If these will receive a $1,000 award. are not available electronically, contact Jeremy Taylor, chair In addition to the Byar Award, the section may provide of the 2009 Biometrics Section Awards Committee, at jmgt@ travel awards to the authors of other outstanding papers sub- umich.edu. All materials, including the paper, must be submit- ted electronically on or before March 1, 2009. n

January 2009 Amstat News 31 32 Amstat News January 2009 January 2009 Amstat News 33 Biopharmaceutical Web-Based Training Program: An Update Mani Lakshminarayanan, Merck, and Venkat Sethuraman, Novartis

eb-based distance training ments on the ASA web site and sending has become a standard tool emails to biostatistics departments at for the Biopharmaceutical various universities. Starting in spring 2009, the webinar WSection. Rolled out 18 months ago and The number of attendees at each series will welcome two new organiz- supported by the ASA Center for webinar has been between 500 and ers: Mani Lakshminarayanan of Merck Statistics Education, the program was 1,100. Many participants took advan- and Venkat Sethuraman of Novartis. launched to provide an alternative to tage of the option to allow multiple par- Speakers and dates for spring 2009 live training courses. As travel and hotel ticipants to share a single session for a and fall 2009 have begun to be iden- rooms become more expensive and add single registration fee. Based on surveys tified. Although these webinars will additional strain to existing budgets, completed by attendees, a single person be of a similar format, topics will be web-based communication channels called in at 30%–40% of the sites, and clustered into a few broad themes for have emerged as a low-cost way to deliv- 15%–20% of the sites had more than each quarter. For example, we plan to er training. Our current webinar format five participants. Feedback received have a dedicated quarter for Bayesian is being considered a template by other by the organizers indicates that cost methods, sample size, and microarray groups within the ASA. is an attractive feature of the training and gene expression. Potential speakers The program has included popu- program. The registration fee for the include Christy-Chuang Stein of Pfizer, lar topics such as linear mixed models, Biopharmaceutical Section members Lakshminarayanan, Javier Cabrera of multiplicity, adaptive designs, miss- is $44 for each two-hour webinar. The Rutgers, Dhammika Amaratunga of ing data, and assessment of QT prolon- fee for ASA members is higher ($59), Johnson & Johnson, Frank Harrell of gation. Details can be found at www. but they have the option of joining the Vanderbilt, John Storey of Princeton, biopharmnet.com/doc/doc03002.html. Biopharmaceutical Section for $8 and Brad Carlin of the University of Both attendees and presenters indi- receiving the section member rate. The Minnesota, Andy Grieve of King’s cated the webinars were convenient, registration fee for non-ASA members College, London, and Scott Berry of compared to regular training courses. The is $74. Berry Consultants. attendees either logged into the training The section recently completed its The webinar web site, www. courses at their desks or attended ses- work on the fall 2008 training series, biopharmnet.com/doc/doc03002.html, sions set up in onsite conference rooms. which included the following webinars: will be updated with dates, times, addi- Similarly, the presenters did not have to Webinar 1: Stratified Analyses: tional materials, and interactive options travel to a special facility. Tips for Improving Power, as they become available. Copies of the The program has attracted a broad given by Devan V. Mehrotra of course handouts also will be posted audience of industry statisticians, academ- Merck Research Laboratories there, as well as discussion threads set ic researchers, government statisticians, up to enable participants to submit and graduate students. The majority of Webinar 2: Bioequivalence, questions to the presenters at the end of participants connects from the United given by Scott Patterson of Wyeth each course. States, though a fraction does come from and Byron Jones of Pfizer Members are encouraged to check the other countries. Rick Peterson, the ASA’s Webinar 3: Classical Sample-Size site often and spread the word among education program associate, plays a key Analysis for Hypothesis Testing their colleagues. role in selecting vendors/providers for the To participate in a web-based course, web-based tools, training the presenters, (Part I), given by Ralph O’Brien of Case Western Reserve University attendees need to have either a PC or and organizing the webinars. In addition a Mac with an Internet browser and a to contacting (via email) all the mem- Webinar 4: Classical Sample-Size high-speed connection. For more infor- bers of the Biopharmaceutical Section, Analysis for Hypothesis Testing mation about the web-based training Peterson has instituted other publicity (Part II), given by Ralph O’Brien of program, including set-up requirements, efforts, including publishing announce- Case Western Reserve University visit www.amstat.org/sections/sbiop/ webinarseries.html. n

34 Amstat News January 2009 Government Statistics Winner of Griffith Award Honored Carol House, Chair of the Government Statistics Section

Rosemary Marcuss receives the Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award. From left are Emerson Elliott, chair of the award committee; Andy Orlin, Jeanne Griffith’s husband and founder of the award; Rosemary Marcuss; Kathy Wallman, chief statistician at the Office of Management and Budget; and Steve Landefeld, director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

osemary Marcuss, deputy director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, is the winner of the 2008 Jeanne Griffith Mentoring Award. She has been the deputy directorR since she joined the agency in 1998. Before that, she Rosemary Marcuss has been an avid served for 15 years as the assistant director for tax analysis for the U.S. Congressional Budget Office. Marcuss started her “champion for the Bureau of Economic career in Washington, DC, as a junior staff member of the Analysis’ development programs President’s Council of Economic Advisors. She holds a PhD in economics from the University of Maryland and was a National and efforts. She has played an inte- Science Foundation fellow during her graduate studies. gral role in finding innovative ways to Marcuss maintains a special interest in making eco- nomic statistics and analysis accessible to as many people develop employees, as well as sought as possible. In 2005, she served as president of the National Association for Business Economics. In addition, she input from executive staff, division has served on the board of directors of the National Tax chiefs, managers, and employees to Association and the Washington, DC, National Economists Club. At present, she serves as a member of the adviso- ensure that all programs are relevant ry board of the George Washington University School of to the need of our employees. Public Policy and Public Administration. Steve Landefeld, director of the Bureau of Economic ” Analysis, says that during her time at BEA, Marcuss has made mentoring and career development a central focus of the bureau’s work. Shortly after coming to BEA, she redesigned has consistently been a major influence in these individual’s BEA’s mentoring program, making it a model for other units lives. All have benefited from the experiences, and many have in the Department of Commerce wishing to develop their advanced to leadership roles within the bureau or other agen- own programs. cies. Marcuss’ corporate and individual mentoring efforts Marcuss is continually redesigning BEA activities, from have positively affected not only the entire bureau, but also external outreach to internal presentations, to involve more other government statistical organizations. junior staff. She works with individual staff members to The Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award was established develop their presentations. to encourage mentoring of junior staff in the federal statistical Each year, Marcuss also finds time to serve as a mentor at system. It is presented annually to a supervisor who is nomi- BEA. She has guided staff— ranging from accountants, to nated by coworkers and supervisors and chosen by the Award economists, to administrators—throughout the bureau and Selection Committee.

January 2009 Amstat News 35 The Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Motivating junior staff and building self confi- Award was established to honor Griffith, dence through feedback, listening when needed, who died in August 2001 after work- and creating a caring and supportive environment ing for more than 25 years in the fed- Serving as a role model for junior staff through eral statistical system. Throughout her professional expertise; information and insight; bal- career, and especially in her later senior ancing collegial and personal roles; and including management positions at the National everyone across rank, race, ethnicity, and seniority Center for Education Statistics and the National Science Foundation, one of Griffith’s highest priorities was to men- For more information about the application process, con- Griffith tor and encourage younger staff at all tact ASA representative Pam Craven at (703) 302-1860 or levels to learn, grow, and recognize and visit www.amstat.org/sections/sgovt/JEGform09.doc or www. seize career opportunities as they came along. amstat.org/sections/sgovt/JEGform09.pdf. n The American Statistical Association and the Government Statistics Section now manage the award. The Washington Statistical Society, the Social Statistics Section, and the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics are cosponsors of the award. Nominations for 2009 are being accepted now through March 27. Members of the award committee will decide on the winner by May 8. The award will consist of a $1,000 Business and Economic Statistics honorarium and a citation, which will be presented at a cer- emony arranged by the cosponsors in June. The winning mentor will be selected for his or her efforts Section Plans for to support the work and develop the careers of junior staff. Examples of typical mentoring activities include the following: JSM 2009, Gives Advising junior staff so they can create career oppor- tunities, networking skills, and contacts for growth Last Call for Papers and development Tucker McElroy, Counseling junior staff and providing resources to Business and Economic Section help develop their technical writing, analysis, pre- Publications Officer sentation, and organizational skills and knowledge Encouraging junior staff growth and career reparations are under way for JSM 2009, which development through attendance and oral pre- will be held in Washington, DC, August 1–6. The sentations at meetings with higher-level officials Business and Economic Statistics Section plans to and staffs of other agencies, professional asso- Psponsor five invited sessions and a number of topic-con- ciations, training courses, and conferences tributed sessions, which, by now, have been mostly final- ized. Due to the high concentration of federal statistical agencies in the nation’s capital, the conference is antici- GSS Poster Competition pated to have high attendance, including many statisti- cians working in foreign statistical agencies. Thus, this Thinking about contributing a paper to looks to be an exciting and important conference. JSM? Why not contribute that paper The U.S. Census Bureau, together with other fed- as a poster instead? The Government eral agencies such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, has Statistics Section is initiating an annual a long-standing interest in the seasonal adjustment of competition for best poster presentation economic time series. In support of this interest, several at JSM to encourage both the quantity topic-contributed sessions are being organized on topics and quality of poster submissions. The such as seasonality, forecasting, revisions, model-fitting, winner of the best poster will and benchmarking. We also hope to host a poster session receive $500 plus two years of free with software demonstrations available. membership in GSS. Honorable You are invited to make a presentation at the meetings. mentions will receive $250, and Abstracts are due to the ASA by February 2. See www. winning posters will be displayed amstat.org/meetings/jsm/2009 for more information. n at the GSS business meeting and social.

36 Amstat News January 2009 Nonparametric Statistics It’s All About the Awards Ron Randles, 2008 Section Chair, University of Florida

new annual award for the best Both awards will be chosen by a com- Ling Lan of the University of paper published in the Journal mittee, which will include the editor of Louisville for “Nonparametric of Nonparametric Statistics the Journal of Nonparametric Statistics, Comparisons of State Waiting Time bringsA with it GB £500 (currently the chair of the Nonparametric Statistics Distributions in a Markov System about $750) and instant fame, as the Section, and two other section members Under a Current Status Data” winning article is announced at the appointed by the chair. Congratulations to the three winners. section’s business meeting during JSM Members of the award committee— and then made available on the Taylor 2008 JSM Student Paper Awards Jeff Hart, Soumen Lahiri, Lan Wang, & Francis Group web site. The first and Edsel Pena (chair)—reported that award will be presented at JSM 2009 Based on their presentations made at the research and presentations of these for the best paper published in the JSM in Denver, the 2008 JSM Student students were outstanding. Each win- 2008 volume of the journal. Paper Awards go to the following: ner received a certificate and a check Starting in 2010, there also will be Soutir Bandhopadhyay of Texas for $250. The section will continue the an award for the best paper written A&M University for “Nonparametric award program at JSM 2009, so students solely or primarily by a student. The Covariogram Estimation Based on should plan to submit paper or poster winning paper also will be announced Irregularly Spaced Spatial Data” presentation abstracts to the ASA by the at JSM during the section’s business February 2, 2009, deadline and send meeting and made freely available. Tatiana Benaglia of Penn State a .pdf version of their paper to Wang, The winning author will receive GB University for “Nonparametric 2009 award committee chair, at lan@ £400 + £100 (currently about $600 + Estimation of Multivariate stat.umn.edu before June 1, 2009. n $150) worth of free books published Mixture Models” by Taylor & Francis.

January 2009 Amstat News 37 Physical and Engineering Sciences A Message from the Incoming SPES Chair Tom Loughin, SPES Chair, Kansas State University

butterfly flaps its wings in long after that, Russ Lenth got me to building relationships. All one has to Manhattan, Kansas, and 14 years referee papers for Technometrics (when do is show up somewhere and start talk- later I am writing this article Karen Kafadar was editor). ing to people. And SPES offers so many fromA Surrey, British Columbia. The In 2003, at the Spring Research opportunities for networking that it is butterfly (disguised as former colleague Conference (SRC) in Dayton, Ohio, easy to build meaningful relationships Bill Noble) asked me a question that Kafadar knew an easy mark when she and explore common interests. got us thinking and talking and eventu- saw one and got me involved in orga- The SRC, Fall Technical Conference ally led to a paper we published in nizing SRC 2004, whereupon I met (FTC), and joint mixer with Q&P Technometrics. Dennis Lin, who got me started on the at JSM are fun, productive, and well Reverberations carried me through SPES executive committee by nominat- worth the time. In fact, the 2009 Toronto a year later, where a talk on ing me to be SPES program chair. From SRC will be hosted by my department Noble’s and my work gave me the the executive committee meetings, I got May 27–29, 2009, at the Executive chance to meet Randy Sitter and, to know Bob Wilkinson, and next thing Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre in through him, Derek Bingham. Not I knew, I was on the ballot to become Coquitlam, British Columbia (see SPES chair. www.stat.sfu.ca/~boxint/src2009). You’ll In the meantime, Bill Notz asked want to arrange an extra day or two to me to serve as an associate editor drive up the Sea-to-Sky Highway, visit for Technometrics and Bingham and the mountains of the North Shore, or GILLINGS SCHOOL OF Sitter both moved back to Simon even just walk up Burnaby Mountain to GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH Fraser University in Burnaby, British the main SFU campus and take in the Biostatistics Workshops Columbia. Through them, I found gorgeous view. May 18-22, 2009 out about an opening for a faculty As a last lesson, it is plain to see there The Department of Biostatistics at the Univer- position at their campus, and now are many ways to become involved with sity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is pleased here I sit in Surrey, looking back on and engaged in your association. There to announce a week of workshops May 18-22 14 years of association with SPES on are positions to be filled, tasks to be in Chapel Hill, NC, cosponsored by SAS Insti- one level or another. completed, and ideas to be developed. tute. A two-day Clinical Trials Workshop, led by Drs. Joseph Ibrahim and Anastasia Ivanova, will If you’ve ever wondered how you can cover adaptive designs from both frequentist and Lessons Learned have a part in the direction and contin- Bayesian perspectives. New SAS software for There are many lessons I’ve learned ued redevelopment of SPES, consider group sequential methods will be introduced. along this twisty path. The first les- this your invitation to contact me at son is that SPES is all about people. [email protected] and let me know how Two 1½-day genetics workshops will be led by Drs. Fred Wright, Wei Sun, and Fei Zou. The Ge- At every step, I’ve learned from, been you would like to get involved. Or, feel netic Association Analysis Workshop will intro- helped by, and become friends with free to ask me for suggestions. I’m sure duce analysis methods for genotype and disease some of the best people the statistics we can find something that will suit any associations, including specifi c genomic regions profession has to offer. These are hard- eager volunteer’s interests. and whole-genome scans. The Microarray-based working, friendly, professional people Gene Expression Analysis Workshop will intro- Connecting duce methods for the analysis of high-throughput who have made me feel right at home expression datasets. Prior experience in genetics from the outset. Speaking of relationship-building, is not required. Second, networking (or “relationship Web 2.0 offers a virtual cornucopia of building,” if you prefer) is an amazing opportunities for networking, and I’m Practicing biostatisticians and other public health sure more are on the way. Social and researchers interested in attending one or more thing. It doesn’t have to be done delib- workshops can register at www.sph.unc.edu/oce erately; just meeting new people, shar- professional networking sites such as beginning January, 2009. ing stories, and talking about common LinkedIn and Facebook are growing in issues and problems is simultaneously popularity (recruiters at Simon Fraser

38 Amstat News January 2009 University tell me Facebook is growing are receiving greater prominence at the I have seen an example of a statistics as a tool to reach potential students). meeting and are left up for a longer unit within an organization that was so Wikis, webinars, and other Internet- time to encourage perusal by interested highly valued by its clientele that, even based services seem to be growing in people throughout the day. Last year, in the face of cuts to their own budgets, popularity, too. This begs the question: SPES aided in this effort by initiating its clients urged management not to How can SPES make use of Web 2.0? its first Outstanding Poster Presentation touch statistics. And data generated by Drop me a line. I’d like to hear your Award. This year, we will up the ante every new technology is a puzzle to be thoughts, as addressing this issue will and offer an additional student poster played with and understood by the dis- be one of my goals in the coming year award. So, if you and/or your students cipline. In this light, if you haven’t read as SPES chair. are planning to go to JSM and want to the lead article in the May 2008 issue of As chair-elect this past year, I had give a presentation, consider a poster Technometrics, “The Future of Industrial the pleasure of working with incoming instead of a paper. Statistics: A Panel Discussion,” I highly Q&P chair Martha Gardner to arrange recommend it to you. The discussion and collect door prizes for the mixer Challenges and features some of our most respected at JSM. Those of you who have been Opportunities leaders in the profession. The strength to mixers in the past know the excite- I’ll close by noting that it’s an interesting of agreement they share on some top- ment that university-branded boxer time to be an industrial statistician. As a ics juxtaposed with the diversity of shorts, inflatable alien dolls, and stuffed discipline, we face challenges and pres- opinions on others is food for thought, Pillsbury Doughboys can generate sures as we always do: threats of downsiz- regardless of whether you are in indus- among otherwise normal people. This ing, under-appreciation by management, try, academia, or government. year was no exception, as many donors and the need to adapt to changes that I welcome and encourage your contributed very nice (and some very emerging technologies impose on our involvement as we strengthen and strange) door prizes: Bank of America, traditional methodological strengths. We position SPES to take on the chal- Boeing, Cambridge University Press, also face tremendous new opportunities, lenges that lie ahead. I look forward to Elsevier Press, GE, Lubrizol, Minitab, many of which are fundamentally the meeting and working with you in the Procter & Gamble, Pearson/Addison- same as our challenges. coming year. n Wesley, Salford Systems, SAS, Simon Fraser University, StatGraphics, University of Dayton, University of Iowa, and Virginia Tech. Hearty thanks go out to these organizations and their representatives for the generous prize offers (and please let me know if I’ve Statistical Consulting missed thanking any of you). Sadly, Fred Hulting couldn’t make it to the mixer, so we were without a Doughboy for the Call for Contributed Papers first time in as long as I can remember. I tried to make up for the loss by offer- ing a CD of great bagpipe tunes—no, for JSM 2009 that’s not an oxymoron—played by the Cynthia R. Long, Statistical Consulting Publications Officer 2008 World Champion Simon Fraser his year’s Joint Statistical Meetings will take place August 1–6 in University Pipe Band. I wasn’t sure how Washington, DC. The Statistical Consulting Section will again be spon- to read the expression on the face of the soring several invited and topic-contributed sessions. These are already winner; it was one I hadn’t seen before. set,T but there is still time to submit a contributed paper for either a paper or JSM 2009 poster presentation—the submission deadline is not until February 2. We encourage papers on all topics related to statistical consulting. This is a It’s not too early to start thinking about great opportunity for you to present and discuss topics such as experiences in JSM 2009, to be held August 1–6 in your consulting setting, innovative methods for training statistical consultants, Washington, DC. The ASA has been balancing consulting with other job responsibilities, or effective communica- listening to complaints regarding the tion strategies. And many of you may have consulting experiences that fit this size of the meeting in terms of the year’s JSM theme: “Statistics: From Evidence to Policy.” huge number of simultaneous sessions You can submit an abstract by going to www.amstat.org/meetings/2009/jsm. and has been working hard to change Go under “Program” and then “Abstract Submission.” We hope you will con- the “meeting culture” in statistics by sider participating in this year’s JSM program. n encouraging more poster presentations and fewer paper presentations. Posters

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40 Amstat News January 2009 CHAPTER NEWS Fall Kickoff Offers Wealth of Information discussed their research from this year’s Summer Biostatistics Internship Program. Howard Hogan, Xiang Li worked on clinical trial design associate director to study prevention of surgical site infec- for demographic tions. Surgical site infections are the third programs at the most common type of infection in hos- U.S. Census Bureau, pitals. Zhanpan Zhang worked on laser- presents “Measuring assisted liposuction. His project was to Population Change design a clinical trial that will objectively Using the American Community Survey” evaluate this new procedure. at the chapter’s fall The final presentation was by Hai kickoff. Nguyen and Mahtash Esfandiari from UCLA. They discussed the work they are doing to design automated essay- grading software to enhance statistical literacy among UCLA undergradu- he Southern California Chapter’s looked at monthly time series of births ates and how the software compares to annual fall kickoff took place on to determine when the actual start of the human graders of exam essay questions. November 1 at the University of baby boom was, which he determined Detailed information about the U.S. TCalifornia, Irvine. The invited lecturer was around July 1946. Census Bureau, Decennial Census, and was Howard Hogan, associate director Next were presentations by ACS, as well as access to data, can be for demographic programs at the U.S. UC-Riverside graduate students, who found at www.census.gov. n Census Bureau. He is also an adjunct professor for the program in survey design and data analysis in the Department of Statistics at George Washington University. Hogan gave a morning and afternoon talk before pass- ing the mic to presenters from UC-Riverside and UC-Los Angeles. Hogan’s morning presentation was “Measuring Population Change Using the American Community Survey.” He discussed the structure of the U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census, and American Community Survey (ACS). He examined some of the logic and methodology behind the bureau’s sur- veys and population estimates, including the concept of current residence, the way race and ethnicity are categorized, how data is collected (including follow-up on nonresponses), and how all this is used to measure population change. The afternoon talk by Hogan was titled “Who (Really) Are the First Baby Boomers?” This was a discussion of a paper he authored with Deborah Perez and William Bell. The idea for the paper was sparked by the many news stories written when the “first person” born in 1946 applied for social security. He January 2009 Amstat News 41 S

VENT headline a program featuring presen- or more information about these events, visit www.amstat.org/dateline. tations by internationally recognized Announcements are accepted from educational and not-for-profit researchers engaged in statistical methods organizations only. Commercial enterprises should contact the ASA for complex data in a variety of fields.

CALENDAR OF E FAdvertising Department at [email protected]. Sessions include nonparametric and semiparametric regression; measure- * Indicates events sponsored by the American Statistical Association or one of ment error and inverse problems; and its sections, chapters, or committees statistical methods in biology, genetics, and population science. In addition ›› Indicates events posted since the previous issue to providing an overview of historical developments and current status for each field, the conference will serve as a discussion platform for emerging issues and future research directions. For more variety of topics. For more information, information, visit www.stat.tamu.edu/ 2009 visit www.mdanderson.org/departments/ carroll-conference-2009 or contact Joyce biostats or contact Lydia Davis, P.O. Sutherland, Rm. 442 Blocker Bldg., Box 301402, Unit 1409, Houston, Texas A&M University, 3143 TAMU, January TX 77030; (713) 794-4142; lbdavis@ College Station, TX 77843-3143; (979) mdanderson.org. 26—Undergraduate Statistics Project 845-5528, [email protected]. Competition, Columbus, Ohio The second biennial international undergraduate statistics project competi- March 18–20—IAENG International tion will accept projects until January Conference on Data Mining and 26, 2009. If you have undergraduate 1–5/1—USCOTS ’09 Posters Applications 2009, Hong Kong, China students conducting class projects or & Beyond - Call for Proposals, Topics for this conference include soft independent study projects that involve Columbus, Ohio computing, statistical data mining, analyzing real data, encourage them to The theme for USCOTS ’09 is “Letting and applications. For more informa- submit. Presentations for the top three Go to Grow.” We are calling for propos- tion, visit www.iaeng.org/IMECS2009/ projects of 2007 can be found at www. als for the Posters and Beyond session, ICDMA2009.html or contact IAENG cst.cmich.edu/users/lee1c/usproc. The win- to take place June 25–27. The session Secretariat, Unit 1, 1/F, 37-39 Hung To ners of the top four projects will receive provides an opportunity for confer- Road, Hong Kong, International HK, monetary rewards and a free trip to ence participants to display a poster or Hong Kong; (852) 3169-3427; imecs@ make a presentation at the United State provide a small demonstration of their iaeng.org. Conference on Teaching Statistics. The favorite examples, activities, and teach- instructor sponsor also will receive free ing methods. Abstracts submitted before registration. For more information, visit March 1 will receive feedback from 24–27—6th International Conference www.causeweb.org/usproc or contact Carl the session organizers by April 1. Final on Multiple Comparison Procedures, Lee, Central Michigan University, Mt. abstracts should be submitted by May 1. Tokyo, Japan Pleasant, OH 48859; (989) 774-3555; All applicants will be notified of whether The goal of this conference is to promote [email protected]. they were selected by May 17. For more research and applications of multiple information, visit www.causeweb.org/ comparison procedures and to exchange uscots or contact Jackie Miller, The Ohio information about recent research direc- 26–28—2009 Bayesian Biostatistics, State University, 1958 Neil Avenue, tions. The conference will cover many Houston, Texas Columbus, OH 43210; (614) 688-4546; current topics, including adaptive and Attendees will have the opportu- [email protected]. sequential designs, bioinformatics, clini- nity to attend two courses on the first cal trials, genomics, closed testing and day of the conference: The Use of partitioning principle, false discovery Bayesian Statistics in Clinical Trials and 14—Conference on Statistical Methods rate, and multiple endpoints. An impor- Applications of Bayesian Methods to for Complex Data tant role of the conference will be to Drug and Medical Device Development. Texas A&M’s Department of Statistics provide a forum for technical interaction There will be invited presentations the is teaming up with the National Cancer among industry practitioners, research following two days that will cover a Institute to celebrate Raymond J. Carroll scientists, and statisticians. For more with a day-long conference. Keynote information, visit www.rs.kagu.tus.ac.jp/ speakers Mitchell Gail and Peter Hall mcp2009 or contact Chihiro Hirotsu,

42 Amstat News January 2009 CALENDAR OF E

2-1-1 Hodokubo, Hino-city, Tokyo, Conference on Probability, Statistics, and Related Areas International 191-8506, Japan; +81 42 The Lamar University Mathematics Department will host a regional 591 7142; [email protected]. V E NT conference titled “Probability, Statistics, and Related Areas” to

take place in Beaumont, Texas, February 27–28, 2009. S Participants include distinguished professors and scientific personalities, April graduate students, and undergraduate students. The first in a series, the department plans to hold a conference annually featuring a different topic. 16–18—Twelfth International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Abstracts are due by January 15, 2009. For more information, visit and Statistics, Clearwater Beach, www.math.lamar.edu\statconference or contact conference organizer Florida Kumer Pial Das, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, This is an interdisciplinary gathering of Lamar University, Beaumont, TX 77710; [email protected]. researchers at the intersection of com- puter science, statistics, and related areas. Since its inception in 1985, the primary goal has been to broaden research in both of these fields by promoting the exchange September 29, 2008. For more informa- of ideas between them. We encourage the tion, visit www3.iam.metu.edu.tr/ setting for graduate students and others submission of all papers in keeping with juergenlehn or contact Zeynep new to the field to learn about cutting- this objective. For more information, Kalaylioglu, Department of Statistics, edge research by hearing talks, attending visit www.ics.uci.edu/~aistats or contact Middle East Technical University, tutorials (included with conference regis- David van Dyk, 2206 Bren Hall, Irvine, Ankara, International 06531, Turkey; tration), and participating in workshops CA 92697-1250; [email protected]. [email protected]. held on the last day of the conference. Conference proceedings from previ- ous years are available at www.siam.org/ proceedings. For more information, visit *19–21—21st Annual Kansas State 25—The 23rd New England Statistics Symposium, Storrs, Connecticut www.siam.org/meetings/sdm09 or contact University Conference on Applied Chandrika Kamath, 7000 East Avenue, Statistics in Agriculture, Manhattan, The Department of Statistics of the University of Connecticut will host this L-561, Livermore, CA 94551; (925) Kansas 423-3768; [email protected]. This conference will bring together symposium to bring together statisti- statisticians from academia, industry, cians from all over New England. Invited and government to discuss ideas and keynote speakers are James O. Berger advances in the application of statistics and Richard A. Davis. There will be May to solve agricultural research problems. a half-day short course, “Hierarchical The three-day conference will include a Modeling for Spatially Referenced Data 3–8—Statistical Advances in keynote speaker, workshop, and series of with Applications to Environmental Genome-Scale Data Analysis, Ascona, contributed paper and poster presenta- Sciences and Public Health.” There also Switzerland will be several theme and contributed tions. For more information, visit www. This interdisciplinary workshop will paper sessions. Talks on all aspects of ksu.edu/stats/agstat.conference or contact address the challenges posed by the enor- statistics and probability are invited. The John Boyer, Kansas State University, mous need for quantitative data integra- NISS Affiliates Annual Meeting also will Department of Statistics, 101 Dickens tion and modeling in biology. Targeted be held in Storrs on April 24. For more Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506; (785) 532- areas include emerging technologies, information, visit www.stat.uconn.edu/ 0518; [email protected]. analysis of DNA composition data, www or contact Ming-Hui Chen, 215 machine learning with genome-scale Glenbrook Road, Unit 4120, Storrs, CT biomolecular data, pharmacogenomics, 06269-4120; (860) 486-6984; mhchen@ ›› and systems approaches with heteroge- 23–24—Recent Developments in stat.uconn.edu. Applied Probability and Statistics, neous data types. We strongly encour- Ankara, Turkey age pre-registration; in previous years, The Institute of Applied Mathematics places have filled up quickly. For details, *30–5/2—SDM09: The Ninth SIAM at Middle East Technical University visit stat.ethz.ch/talks/Ascona_09 or con- International Conference on Data and the Department of Mathematics tact Cecilia Rey, Seminar für Statistik, Mining, Reno, Nevada at Darmstadt Technical University are ETH Zentrum, LEO D11, Zürich, organizing this workshop in memory This conference provides a venue for International 8092, Switzerland; of Juergen Lehn, who passed away on researchers to present their work in a [email protected]. peer-reviewed forum. It is also an ideal

January 2009 Amstat News 43 S

VENT ››* 18–20—32nd Annual Midwest 25–29—41st Annual Conference of the and scholarships are given to selected Biopharmaceutical Statistics Workshop French Statistical Society, Bordeaux, graduate students who present con- (MBSW), Muncie, Indiana France tributed papers. For details, visit www. Cosponsored by Ball State University For information, visit www.sm. stat.sfu.ca/~boxint/src2009 or contact

CALENDAR OF E and the Biopharmaceutical Section of u-bordeaux2.fr/JDS2009/index.html Boxin Tang, Department of Statistics the ASA, this workshop will be held or contact Marta Avalos, 146 rue Leo and Actuarial Science, Burnaby, British at the Alumni Center of Ball State Saignat, Bordeaux, International 33076, Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada, 778-782- University. Michael O’Connell (Tibco) France; 33 557 5715 34; Marta.Avalos@ 4898, [email protected]. will present a half-day short course, titled isped.u-bordeaux2.fr. “Integrating Graphics and Statistics Across Pharmaceutical Research and 31–6/3—37th Annual Meeting of Development.” Plenary speakers include *27–29—2009 Spring Research the Statistical Society of Canada, Scott Evans (Harvard) and Paul Stang Conference on Statistics in Industry Vancouver, Canada (J&J). Invited talks will be presented in and Technology, Vancouver, British This conference will bring together four parallel tracks: clinical, discovery/ Columbia academic, governmental, and industrial pre-clinical, nonclinical, and post- This conference aims to promote researchers, as well as users of statistics marketing. There will also be a con- research in statistical methods that and probability. It will present workshops tributed poster session. Poster abstracts address problems in industry and and invited and contributed sessions. must be submitted by April 20, 2009. technology and to stimulate interac- The SSC features sections in biostatistics, Students may submit posters for the tion among statisticians, researchers survey methods, business and industrial Charlie Sampson Award. For details, in the application areas, and industrial statistics, and probability. Consequently, visit www.mbswonline.com or contact practitioners. It also strives to encour- the program will include papers in all Melvin Munsaka, One Takeda Parkway, age graduate students to pursue careers areas of statistics and probability. About Deerfield, IL 60015; (847) 582-3533; in industry and technology; students 450 statisticians are expected to par- [email protected]. are charged a reduced registration fee, ticipate. For more information, visit www.ssc.ca or contact Christian Léger, University of Montréal, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, CP 6128 Succursale Centreville, Montréal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada; (514) 343- 7824; [email protected].

June *2–5—2009 Quality & Productivity Research Conference, Yorktown Heights, New York The conference theme is “Data, Statistics, and Vision Lead to Great Decisions.” The focus, as always, will be on presenting leading edge research by academic and industrial statisticians and showing the best new statistical methods for improving industrial quality and pro- ductivity. There will be a pre-conference, full day course on June 2, followed by two and a half days of plenary/invited/ contributed/tutorial sessions and spe- cial events. For more information, visit research.ihost.com/qprc_2009 or contact Emmanuel Yashchin, IBM T. J. Watson Research Ctr., P.O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598; (914) 945-1828; [email protected].

44 Amstat News January 2009 CALENDAR OF E

›› 4–6—Workshop on Statistical sequential estimation, hypotheses test- and an explanation of the motivation and Methods for Dynamic System Models, ing, changepoint detection and isolation, main idea. For details, visit www.cis.ford- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada mathematical finance, quality control, ham.edu/QR2009 or contact Hrishikesh V E NT clinical trials, sequential methods in Vinod, Economics Dept., 441 E. This workshop aims to foster the grow- S ing demand for research and collabora- signal/image processing, sensors net- Fordham Road, Bronx, NY 10458; (718) tion between statisticians and dynamic works, surveillance and monitoring, fault 817-4065; [email protected]. systems modelers through a mixture of detection and isolation, and teaching presentations about new statistical meth- sequential methodologies. Prospective ods, novel applications of dynamic sys- authors are invited to submit two-page 18–20—Econometrics, Time Series tems, and areas in need of further collab- extended abstracts of contributed papers Analysis, and Systems Theory: A oration. Alongside the goal of bringing by January 15. All abstracts should be Conference in Honor of Manfred researchers together from diverse areas submitted in PDF format at www.utt. Deistler, Vienna, Austria fr/iwsm2009. For more information, to share current research, the workshop The purpose of this conference is to visit www.utt.fr/iwsm2009 or contact aims to transfer technology and cultivate celebrate Manfred Deistler’s scientific Igor Nikiforov, UTT, 12 rue Marie new research in applied dynamics sys- achievements. It will consist of a series Curie BP 2060, Troyes, International tems. For more information, visit http:// of invited and contributed presenta- 10010, France; +33 3 25 71 56 78; Igor. stat.sfu.ca/~dac5/workshop09 or contact tions. Invited speakers are Brian D.O. [email protected]. Jiguo Cao, Department of Statistics and Anderson, Laurent Baratchart, A. Ronald Actuarial Science, BURNABY, British Gallant, Michel Gevers, Marco Lippi, Columbia V5A1S6, Canada; (778) 782- Ingmar Prucha, Peter M. Robinson, and 7600; [email protected]. ››17–19—Summer Institute of Jan Willems. The deadline for submit- Applied Statistics, Provo, Utah ting contributed abstracts to etsast@ihs. The 34th Annual Brigham Young ac.at is February 1. For more informa- 5–9—O-Bayes09, Philadelphia, University Summer Institute of Applied tion, visit www.ihs.ac.at/etsast or con- Pennsylvania Statistics will be presented by Di Cook of tact Benedikt Pötscher, Department of The 2009 International Workshop Iowa State University. “Exploring Data Statistics, University of Vienna, Vienna, on Objective Bayes Methodology will Visually” teaches the process of extracting International A-1010, Austria; +431 facilitate the exchange of recent research knowledge from data, using interactive 427738640; benedikt.poetscher@univie. developments in objective Bayes meth- graphics as an integral part of the statisti- ac.at. odology and provide opportunities for cal analysis. For more information, visit new researchers to establish partnerships. http://.statistics.byu.edu/summer_institute O-Bayes09 also will further crystal- or contact Kathi Carter, 223 TMCB, 18–20—BISP6 - Bayesian Inference lize objective Bayes methodology as an Provo, UT 84602; (801) 422-4506; in Stochastic Processes, Bressanone/ established area for statistical research. [email protected]. Brixen, Italy The workshop will consist of invited This workshop will bring together talks, followed by discussion, and one or experts to review, discuss, and explore more sessions dedicated to contributed ››18–19—Conference on Quantitative directions of development of Bayesian posters. The first day of the workshop Social Science Research Using R, inference in stochastic processes and will include longer ‘tutorial’ sessions. Bronx, New York in the use of stochastic processes for For more information, visit stat.wharton. This conference will focus on applica- Bayesian inference. There will be sessions upenn.edu/statweb/Conference/OBayes09/ tions of the R software and graphics on Markov processes; state-space models; OBayes.html or contact Linda Zhao, system to important policy and research and spatial, empirical, birth-death, and 3730 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA problems. Papers presented can be both branching processes. Theoretical and 19104; (215) 898-8228; lzhao@wharton. theoretical and applied, but their quanti- applied contributions are welcome. For upenn.edu. tative results must be reproducible by R more information, visit www.mi.imati. program snippet(s). There will be poster cnr.it/conferences/bisp6.html or contact and parallel sessions, and we expect to Fabrizio Ruggeri, via Tremelloni 15, 15–17—Second International produce a CD containing R programs. A Milano, International 20133, Italy; +39 Workshop in Sequential proceedings volume is planned, and an 0223699521; [email protected]. Methodologies, Troyes, France economics journal is interested in pub- IWSM is organized every two years and lishing selected papers. Abstracts should covers all aspects of sequential method- be submitted to [email protected] as 21–24—ICSA 2009 Applied Statistics ologies. Particular themes will include soon as possible, as slots are expected to Symposium, San Francisco, California be filled by March 15, 2009. Abstracts optimal stopping, sequential analysis, Short courses will be offered on June should include the title of the paper, 21, with more than 50 scientific sessions author name(s), affiliation(s), email(s),

January 2009 Amstat News 45 S

VENT taking place from June 22–24. Keynote statistics education are especially encour- contact Senior Manager Marketing, speakers include Wing Hung Wong, aged to attend. USCOTS is a ‘working Europe, DIA, Postfach, Basel, International Nicholas Jewell, and Ron Wasserstein. conference,’ with many opportunities 4002, Switzerland; +41 61 225 51 51; Contributed paper abstracts may be for hands-on activities, demonstrations, [email protected].

CALENDAR OF E submitted to Jiming Jiang at jiang@ networking, and idea sharing. Leaders in wald.ucdavis.edu by May 1, 2009. The statistics education and assessment will symposium will also sponsor J-P Hsu give plenary talks, including Dani Ben- 1–3—International Conference of student awards and travel grants, with Zvi, George Cobb, Peter Ewell, Ronald Computational Statistics and Data the application deadline of April 1, 2009. Wasserstein, and Chris Wild. For more Engineering 2009, London, United For more information, visit http://icsa2. information, visit www.causeweb.org/ Kingdom org/2009 or contact Ying Lu, 185 Berry uscots or contact Deb Rumsey at rumsey@ Held under the World Congress on Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA stat.ohio-state.edu. Engineering and organized by the 94143-0946; [email protected]. International Association of Engineers, this meeting serves as a good platform 28–7/1—IMS Asia Pacific Rim for the research community to meet 21–25—7th Workshop on Bayesian Meetings, Seoul, South Korea and exchange ideas. For more informa- Nonparametrics, Moncalieri (Turin), This new meeting series will provide tion, visit www.iaeng.org/WCE2009/ Italy an excellent forum for scientific com- ICCSDE2009.html or contact William The aim of this workshop is to highlight munication and collaboration among Young at [email protected]. the latest developments in Bayesian non- researchers in Asia and the Pacific Rim. parametrics, covering a variety of theoret- It also will promote communication ical and applied topics. For more infor- and collaboration between researchers ››7–9—LASR 2009: Statistical Tools mation, visit bnpworkshop.carloalberto.org in this area and those from other parts for Challenges in Bioinformatics, or contact Pierpaolo De Blasi, via Real of the world. The program covers topics Leeds, United Kingdom Collegio 30, Moncalieri, International in statistics and probability, presenting The 2009 Leeds Annual Statistical 10024, Italy; +39 0116705282; bnp@ recent developments and the state of the Research Workshop will focus on devel- carloalberto.org. art in a variety of modern research topics opments in interdisciplinary statistics and applications. For more information, and the interface between statistical visit http://ims-aprm.org or contact Runze methodology and bioinformatics. For Li, Department of Statistics, Penn State 23–27—18th International Workshop more information, visit www.maths. University, University Park, PA 16802- on Matrices and Statistics, IWMS ’09, leeds.ac.uk/lasr2009 or contact Arief 2111; (814) 965-1555; [email protected]. Smolenice Castle, Slovakia Gusnanto, Department of Statistics, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, International This workshop will stimulate the LS2 9JT, United Kingdom; +44 113 exchange of ideas and research at the July 3435135; [email protected]. interfaces of matrix theory, statistics, and stochastic processes. It includes invited ››1—6th EudraVigilance Information ›› and contributed talks and posters. For Day, London, United Kingdom 13–15—International Conference further information, visit www.um.sav. EudraVigilance Information Day will on the Interface Between Statistics and sk/en/iwms2009.html or contact Viktor provide a forum for marketing authoriza- Engineering, Beijing, China Witkovsky, Institute of Measurement tion holders and sponsors of clinical trials This conference will focus on innova- Science, Slovak Academy of Sciences, to gain a better understanding of the key tive research on the interface between Dubravska cesta 9, Bratislava, activities of the EudraVigilance Expert statistics and engineering for the support International 84104, Slovakia; +421 2 Working Group and their work 2009 pro- of complex system design and opera- 591045 30; [email protected]. gram (see http://eudravigilance.emea.europa. tion, quality and reliability engineering, eu). The main areas to be addressed are and optimal decisionmaking. Authors implementation aspects related to electronic are invited to submit abstracts. For reporting of ICSRs, key pharmacovigilance more information, visit http://icise.bjut. 25–27—United States Conference on activities in some of the EU member states, edu.cn/index.htm or contact Kwok Tsui, Teaching Statistics ’09, Columbus, and practical implementation questions Industrial and Systems Engineering, 765 Ohio raised by stakeholders. For more informa- Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332; (404) The target audience for this conference tion, visit www.diahome.org/DIAHOME/ 894-2311; [email protected]. is teachers of undergraduate and AP sta- Education/FindEducationalOffering.aspx?pro tistics. Teachers of statistics at two-year ductID=18483&eventType=Meeting or colleges and those planning a career in

46 Amstat News January 2009 CALENDAR OF E

20–22—International Symposium participants and is characterized by an instructors of probability and statistics in Statistics on GLLMM, St. John’s, intimate culture. For more information, classes who have an interest in exploring Newfoundland visit www.issatconferences.org or contact novel technology-enhanced approaches V E NT ISSAT RQD Conference, P.O. Box for improving statistics education. For

The objective of this symposium is to S bring together a set of speakers and dis- 1504, Piscataway, CA 08855; rqd@ more information, visit http://wiki.stat. cussants to describe the latest research issatconferences.org. ucla.edu/socr/index.php/SOCR_Events_ in GLLMM with applications to bio- Aug2009 or contact Ivo Dinov, 8125 statistics, econometrics, and ecological Math Sciences Bldg., Los Angeles, CA and environmental studies, among oth- 10–12—It’s Online, Therefore It 90095; (310) 825-8430; dinov@stat. ers. For more information, visit www. Exists! A Workshop on Technology- ucla.edu. iss-2009-stjohns.ca or contact Brajendra Enhanced Probability and Statistics Sutradhar, Department of Mathematics Education Using SOCR Resources, and Statistics, St. John’s, Newfoundland Los Angeles, California 16–22—International Statistical A1C 5S7, Canada; 7097378731; The 2009 SOCR aims to demonstrate Institute 57th Biennial Session, [email protected]. the functionality, use, and assessment Durban, South Africa of current SOCR resources in probabil- This session will include meetings of ity and statistics curricula at different the Bernoulli Society, the International levels. The SOCR tools, activities, and Association for Statistical Computing, August materials are openly and anonymously the International Association of available over the Internet to the entire Survey Statisticians, the International *1–6—2009 Joint Statistical community. This workshop will be of Association for Official Statistics, Meetings, Washington, DC most value to AP teachers and college JSM (Joint Statistical Meetings) is the largest gathering of statisticians held in North America. It is held jointly with the American Statistical Association, the International Biometric Society (ENAR and WNAR), the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, and the Statistical Society of Canada. Attended by more than 5,500 people, activities include oral presentations, panel sessions, poster pre- sentations, continuing education courses, an exhibit hall, a placement service, society and section business meetings, committee meetings, social activities, and networking opportunities. For more information, visit www.amstat.org/meetings or contact Elaine Powell, 732 North Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; (888) 231-3473; [email protected].

6–8—15th ISSAT International Conference on Reliability and Quality in Design, San Francisco, California This conference is an international forum for the presentation of new results, research development, and appli- cations in all aspects of reliability, quality in design, and statistics. The conference is typically attended by international

January 2009 Amstat News 47 S

VENT and the International Association for Statistics Divisions of ASQ, this confer- L85 4K1, Canada; (905) 525-9140, Ext. Statistical Education. For more infor- ence will be held at the Hilton Indianapolis. 23420; [email protected]. mation, visit www.cbs.nl/isi or contact For more information, visit www.amstat- Shabani Mehta, 428 Prinses Beatrixlaan, online.org/sections/qp/2009-ftc-call-for-papers.

CALENDAR OF E P.O. Box 950, Voorburg, International pdf or contact Donald McCormack, 2901 May 2270 AZ, The Netherlands; +31-70- Oakhaven Drive, Austin, TX 78704; don. 3375737; [email protected]. [email protected]. 23–26—38th Annual Meeting of the Statistical Society of Canada, Québec City, Québec September This conference will bring together 27–30—25th International academic, government, and industrial 14–16—S.Co. 2009, Milan, Italy Methodology Symposium, Gatineau, researchers as well as users of statis- The aim of the S.Co. conference is to Québec tics and probability. Featured will be provide a forum for the discussion of This anniversary symposium, titled workshops and invited and contributed new developments and applications of “Longitudinal Surveys: From Design to sessions on all areas of statistics and statistical models and computational Analysis,” is for researchers with private probability. About 450 statisticians are methods for complex and high-dimen- research organizations, governments, and expected to participate. For details, con- sional data. The conference will consist universities who are interested in statisti- tact Thierry Duchesne, Université Laval, of invited lectures, organized and con- cal or methodological issues specific to Département de mathématiques et de tributed sessions, and poster presenta- longitudinal surveys. The first day will statistique, Pavillon Vachon, Québec, tions. For more information, visit mox. consist of workshops, while the following Quebec G1K 7P4, Canada; (418) 656- polimi.it/sco2009 or contact Eventi Mate, days will consist of plenary and paral- 2131, Ext. 5077; thierry.duchesne@mat. Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci, 32, Milano, lel sessions covering a variety of topics. ulaval.ca. International 20133, Italy; eventimate@ Additional research and results will be mate.polimi.it. presented via poster sessions. For more information, visit www.statcan.ca/english/ 25–27—Joint Research Conference conferences/symposium2009 or contact on Statistics in Quality, Industry, and 21–22—6th International Meeting on Caroline Rondeau, 150 Tunney’s Pasture Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland Statistical Methods in Biopharmacy, Driveway, R.H. Coats Building, Ottawa, The Quality and Productivity Research Paris, France Québec K1A OT6, Canada; caroline. Conference and the Spring Research This meeting will focus on innovative [email protected]. Conference on Statistics in Industry statistical approaches to design and analy- and Technology will be held jointly at sis of clinical trials, specifically missing the National Institute of Standards and data, flexible designs, multiplicity, and Technology (NIST). The goal of the con- meta-analysis. Contributed papers are 2010 ference is to stimulate interdisciplinary welcome if they are relevant to these areas; research among statisticians, engineers, and contributed posters are welcome if they physical scientists in quality and produc- describe unrelated, but innovative, research January tivity, industrial needs, and the physical on the design and analysis of clinical tri- sciences. The conference will feature pre- als. For more information, visit www. ››*4–8—International Indian Statistical sentations on statistical issues and research biopharma2009-sfds.fr or contact Claude Association Joint Statistical Meetings approaches drawn from collaborative Petit, 900 Ridgebury Road, Ridgefield, and International Conference on research. For more information, contact CT 06877; (203) 798-4303; claude.petit@ Statistics, Probability, and Related Areas, Will Guthrie, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop boehringer-ingelheim.com. Visakhapatnam, India 8980, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8980; The Joint Statistical Meetings, organized (301) 975-2854; [email protected]. n by the International Indian Statistical Association in partnership with the October American Statistical Association and sta- tistical associations in India, will be held at ››*8–9—53rd Annual Fall Technical Andhra University. For more information, Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana visit www.stat.osu.edu/~hnn/IISA.html or Cosponsored by the Physical and contact Naranyanswamy Balakrishnan, Engineering Sciences and Quality and Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Productivity Sections of ASA, as well as McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario the Chemical and Process Industry and

48 Amstat News January 2009 ES PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITI

rofessional Opportunity Listings may not exceed 65 words, plus equal opportunity information. Ads must be received by the first of the pre- Alaska ceding month to ensure appearance in the next issue (i.e., September 1 n Assistant/associate tenure-track Pfor the October issue). Ads received after the deadline will be held until the biostatistics faculty position at the following issue. University of Alaska Fairbanks with Listings are shown alphabetically by state, followed by international listings. a multidisciplinary team conducting Vacancy listings may include the institutional name and address or be identified NIH-funded basic and translational by number, as desired. research on the genetic, behavioral, Professional Opportunities Vacancies also will be published on the ASA’s and nutritional aspects of obesity, dia- web site (www.amstat.org). Vacancy listings will appear on the web site for the betes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, entire calendar month. Ads may not be placed for publication in the magazine and psychosocial disorders. Seeking only; all ads will be published both electronically and in print. an individual with a proven track Rates: $320 for nonprofit organizations (with proof of nonprofit status), record of collaborative research and $475 for all others. Member discounts are not given. Display advertising rates expertise in analyzing epidemiologi- are at www.amstat.org/advertising. cal, behavioral, or genetic data sets. Listings will be invoiced following publication. All payments should be For more information, go to www. made to the American Statistical Association. All material should be sent uakjobs.com. The University of Alaska to Amstat News, 732 North Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314- is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative 1943; fax (703) 684-2036; email [email protected]. Action Employer and Educational Employers are expected to acknowledge all responses resulting from publica- Institution, and we particularly tion of the ad. Personnel advertising is accepted only with the understanding encourage applications from women that the advertiser does not discriminate among applicants on the basis of race, and minority candidates. sex, religion, age, color, national origin, handicap, or sexual orientation. Also look for job ads on the ASA web site at www.amstat.org/jobweb.

January 2009 Amstat News 49 California n UCLA Biostatistics is searching for three new faculty with demonstrated Department of Health and Human Services excellence in biostatistical research and teaching. Positions are: (1) nonten- National Institutes of Health ured assistant professor in HIV/AIDS National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases OPPORTUNITIPROFESSIONAL ES research; (2) tenure-track assistant professor; and (3) tenure-track assistant With nationwide responsibility for improving the health and well- professor with strong methodological being of all Americans, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and interests in cancer research. Higher the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) rank possible for qualified candidates. conducts and supports a global program of research aimed at For more information: www.biostat. improving diagnosis, treatment and prevention of immunologic, ucla.edu/CurrentFacultySearch.htm. allergic and emerging infectious diseases. NIAID’s mission is driven UCLA is an AA/EOE. by a strong commitment to basic research, which incorporates the complementary fi elds of vaccine research, immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases. n Associate/Full Professor (100% FTE tenured). Appointee will hold NIAID has the following opportunity available: academic appointments in the Department of Public Health Sciences, Mathematical Statistician Division of Biostatistics (50%) and in the Department of Internal The Mathematical Statistician position is located in the Medicine, Division of Medicine Biostatistics Research Branch (BRB), Division of Clinical (50%). Responsibilities: collaborative Research (DCR), NIAID. The mission of the BRB includes collaborating in the design, monitoring, and analysis of clinical studies and laboratory experiments as well as conducting Continued on p. 53 independent research in statistical methodology. NIAID offers a broad range of opportunities for collaboration including large cooperative AIDS research groups, vaccine development, immunology, transplantation research, and biodefense. Candidates should have solid theoretical training in statistical methodology and be able to work effectively with medical and statistical colleagues. Excellent communications skills and the ability to conduct research on statistical methodology are required as are a Doctorate in statistics or biostatistics.

Salary is commensurate with research experience and accomplishments, GS-13/14, salary range $82,961-$127,442. A full Civil Service package of benefi ts (including retirement, health, life and long term care insurance, Thrift Savings Plan participation, etc.) is available.

US Citizens: To apply for this vacancy, please visit http://usajobs. opm.gov. Mathematical Statistician Vacancy Number: HHS/NIH- 2009-0896. Government employees & status candidates: HHS/NIH- 2009-0895.

Non-US Citizens: Please submit curriculum vitae/bibliography to Dean Follmann, Ph.D., 6700 B Rockledge Drive, MSC 7609, Bethesda, MD 20892 or electronically [email protected].

Application deadline: February 28, 2009. Crystal Johnson, Human Resource Specialist, 301-402-3946.

DHHS and NIH are Equal Opportunity Employers

50 Amstat News January 2009 ES PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITI

The Department of Statistics at North Carolina State University

Junior Tenure Track Positions The Department of Statistics at North Carolina State University invites applications for one or more junior tenure track faculty (Assistant Professor) positions. Appointments are to begin in August 2009.

All applicants must have completed all requirements for a Ph.D. in Statistics or Biostatistics by the time of employment. Responsibilities include teaching and research. The department seeks applications from candidates from ALL areas of statistics. Preference will be given to applicants with a research interest in virtual screening, health, energy or environment. Please visit https:// jobs.ncsu.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=82136 for more information and to apply. All applicants should complete an Applicant Profi le and attach a letter of application and curricu- lum vitae. In addition to submitting those materials online, applicants should also submit recent transcripts and arrange for three letters of references to be sent directly to the Department to [email protected] or as hard copy to the address below. Chair Statistics Search Committee Campus Box 8203, NCSU Raleigh, NC 27695-8203

Senior Tenure Track Position The Department of Statistics at North Carolina State University invites applications for a senior faculty (Associate/Full Professor) position. Appointments are to begin in August 2009. We are particularly interested in hiring faculty with a strong interest and established record in bioinfor- matics, especially with applications to human health. All applicants must have a Ph.D. in Statistics or Biostatistics. Candidates for Associate or Full professor should have an established record of funded research, collaboration, and exemplary teaching. Responsibilities include teaching, research, and doctoral student research supervision. Please visit https://jobs.ncsu.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=82136 for more infor- mation and to apply. All applicants should complete an Applicant Profi le and attach a letter of application, curriculum vitae and names and contact information for three references.

All reference letters will be made available for review by the departmental faculty. Processing of applications will begin December 8, 2008 and continue until the positions are fi lled. For more information about the department, see: http://www.stat.ncsu.edu/. Please do not hesitate to contact Sastry Pantula, Head {(919) 515-1949, [email protected]} to discuss your potential interest in the position.

AA/EOE. In addition, NC State University welcomes all persons without regard to sexual orien- tation. Individuals with disabilities desiring accommodations in the application process should contact Felicia Harris, voice: (919) 515-1944; email: [email protected]; fax:(919)515-7591. We welcome the opportunity to work with candidates to identify suitable employment opportu- nities for spouses or partners.

January 2009 Amstat News 51 ASA invites you to help with our member get a member campaign

OPPORTUNITIPROFESSIONAL ES

Invite your colleagues to join the ASA, or tell us who they are and let us do the work! get involved: Direct your colleagues to join online today at www.amstat.org/mgm

Provide us with your colleagues’ names online at www.amstat.org/mgm and we will do all the work

Go to www.amstat.org/mgm and print the applications to distribute in-person

Every time someone you refer joins, you will receive a $10 gift certificate* good for any ASA product or service.

*member get a member certificates are processed and awarded quarterly.

AMSTAT

52 Amstat News January 2009 ES PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITI research, independent research, teach- Training Program at ing, mentoring. Send CV and a list of five references to Laurel Beckett, Texas A&M University for New Investigators Chief, Division of Biostatistics, MS1C, in Bioinformatics and Biostatistics University of California, Davis, CA, 95616. http://phs.ucdavis.edu/Jobs/ The Department of Statistics at Texas A&M University anticipates openings for its JobListings.php. AA/EOE. two-year training program in Bioinformatics and Biostatistics with an emphasis on the Biology of Nutrition and cancer (http://stat.tamu.edu/train). Program participants will receive training via a structured format in biology, genetics, microarray tech- n We invite applications for posi- nology, genomic signal processing, and the biological mechanisms of cancer that tion at tenure-track (assistant profes- may be activated by nutrition-related factors. No teaching duties are required. Each participant will be mentored by a multidisciplinary team of experienced researchers sor) or tenured (associate professor) from Statistics, Electrical Engineering, Nutrition and Biochemistry and will be pro- level, in all areas of statistics begin- vided with excellent computing support. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in a quan- ning 7/1/2009. Apply online by self- titatively oriented discipline, such as statistics, electrical engineering and applied registration at http://ls-ourunit.berkeley. mathematics. A participant with a background in EE, for instance signal process- edu:80/sReg.php?i=177. Include resume ing or control, will work in the Genomic Signal Processing Laboratory (http://gsp. and three referee’s letters at indicated tamu.edu). Funding is restricted to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Stipends URL that will be displayed after you are competitive with initial tenure-track positions in statistics. Interested applicants register. Request that referees read the should send a vita and three letters of reference by February 15, 2009 to: university’s confidentiality statement, http://apo.chance.berkeley.edu/evalltr. Raymond Carroll html, prior to uploading their let- Department of Statistics Texas A&M University ters. Email questions to recruit@stat. College Station TX 77843-3143 berkeley.edu. University of California, [email protected] Berkeley, Department of Statistics is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity AA/EOE Employer.

January 2009 Amstat News 53 OPPORTUNITIPROFESSIONAL ES

54 Amstat News January 2009 ES PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITI

Illinois statistics in medical/biological studies; however, recent graduates will be con- Article n Astellas, a leading global pharmaceu- sidered. Excellent communication skills tical company, is seeking experienced are required. For more information and Reprints biostatisticians to join their outstand- to apply: http://health.bsd.uchicago.edu/ ing team. Responsibilities to include Employment.aspx. The University of Article reprints are proper experimental design and valid Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal statistical analysis of clinical and/or Opportunity Employer. available from the ASA at www. pharmacokinetics trials; proper statisti- amstat.org/membership/ cal input to the development of project Individual_Articles.pdf plans. Representation of Astellas on n Two, nontenure-track full/associ- statistical issues in interactions with ate/assistant professor positions in the (single copies) health authorities. For more informa- Biostatistical Collaboration Center. or tion, go to www.us.astellas.com. Astellas Requires a doctoral degree in biostatis- through the is an AA/EOE. tics/statistics for collaboration, consul- tation, teaching, and research in bio- Copyright Clearance Center, medical field. Excellent communication www.copyright.com n Research Associate (instr.-prof.). skills are essential. At least one year (multiple copies). University of Chicago’s Biostatistics post-doctoral experience. To apply, send Laboratory seeks qualified candidates CV and references to Thongsy Singvongsa, with a doctoral degree in statistics or Department of Preventive Medicine, NU biostatistics to provide collaborative Feinberg School of Medicine, 680 N. Lake support to clinical investigators in Shore, Suite 1102, Chicago, IL 60611. study design, grant preparation, and Northwestern University is an affirmative data analysis. Ideal candidates will action/equal opportunity employer. have two years of experience in applied

January 2009 Amstat News 55 Indiana n Purdue University Department of Statistics faculty positions. Salary, rank, benefits commensurate with qualifica- tions. PhD in statistics or related field. For further information, see www.stat.

OPPORTUNITIPROFESSIONAL ES purdue.edu/hiring. Purdue is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative Action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse work force.

n Faculty positions, Department of Statistics and Applied Probability, National University of Singapore. Applications are invited for regular positions in statistics. A PhD in sta- tistics or a related field is required. All areas of statistics and probability, with emphasis on biostatistics, infectious disease modeling, and quantitative finance will be considered. See www. stat.nus.edu.sg/peo_fsearch.htm for fur- ther information.

56 Amstat News January 2009 ES PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITI

Iowa n Drake University, actuarial science teaching position. Drake University, College of Business and Public Administration, nontenure-track, tenure-track, or tenured position; rank open. Start August 2009. PhD or SOA or CAS Fellowship preferred. Teach undergraduate and graduate courses, advising and service. Submit CV, teach- ing philosophy, and contact information for three references to Stuart Klugman, Drake University, Des Moines, IA 50311 or [email protected]. Drake University is an equal-oppor- tunity employer and actively seeks applicants who reflect the diversity of the nation. No applicant shall be dis- criminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, religion, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Continued on p. 60

January 2009 Amstat News 57 Access Professional Resources with the American Statistical Association

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JBES ES PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITI

January 2009 Amstat News 59 Maryland hearts to genetic tests and robotic surgery. Review statistical designs/ n Department of Epidemiology and analyses issues in medical devices from Biostatistics seeks applications for an invention to postmarket. Send CV to assistant professor (tenure track). A Greg Campbell, 1350 Piccard Drive, doctorate in biostatistics or statistics HFZ-550, Rockville MD 20850, is required. Candidates should dem- [email protected]. FDA is a

OPPORTUNITIPROFESSIONAL ES onstrate potential to establish and smoke-free environment and an Equal maintain external funding for a multi- Opportunity Employer. Permanent disciplinary research agenda and com- residency required. mitment to excellence in teaching and advising graduate students. Effective interpersonal, communication, and collaborative skills are essential. For Massachusetts application information, please visit n Assistant/associate professor, bio- our web site at www.sph.umd.edu/epib. statistics, Department of Biostatistics, The University of Maryland is an equal Boston University School of Public opportunity and affirmative action Health (www.sph.bu.edu/jobs). employer. Doctorate in statistics/biostatistics and collaborative research experience in observational or randomized studies n Seeking PhD/experienced master’s required. Incumbent will participate statisticians for venter for devices in geriatric and gerontological research and radiological health, FDA, HHS. at the Institute for Aging Research, Grapple with rich array of statistical Hebrew SeniorLife. Send CV, descrip- issues in clinical trials for new tech- tion of research experience, and three nologies, from LASIK and artificial

60 Amstat News January 2009 ES PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITI references to Lisa Sullivan, Chair, BUSPH, 801 Massachusetts Ave., 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02118. EOE. n The Mathematical Sciences Department invites applications for one tenure-track assistant professor position in biostatistics or applied statistics, beginning August 2009. Exceptional candidates may be con- sidered at higher ranks. Successful candidates must contribute to the department’s research and educational programs. Curriculum vitae, state- ments of teaching/research, three let- ters of recommendation sent to: Search Committee, Mathematical Sciences, WPI, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609-2280. Visit www.wpi. edu/+math. WPI is an affirmation action, equal opportunity employer.

January 2009 Amstat News 61 New Hampshire n Senior statistical analyst: assist biostatistics faculty and clinical and translational researchers in cancer and other fields. Statistical consulting/ computing/data management/meth-

OPPORTUNITIPROFESSIONAL ES odologic research; MS in biostatistics or statistics; consulting experience in clinical trials/medical research. SAS/SPLUS/Windows/relational databases. Full Dartmouth benefits. CV plus three references to Andrea Tillotson, BSR Analyst Search, HB 7920, Dartmouth Medical School, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756. email: Biostatistics.Shared. [email protected]. http://biostat. hitchcock.org. Dartmouth College is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

North Carolina n The department of statistical sci- ence invites applications for visiting faculty positions beginning fall 2009. Candidates must have a PhD in statis- tics and potential for success in teach- ing and collaborative research. Submit a letter, CV, and names of three refer- ences at Academic Jobs Online (https:// academicjobsonline.org/ajo). Send inqui- ries to Dalene Stangl, Associate Chair, at [email protected]. Applications accepted until positions are filled. Screening begins on January 15, 2009. Women and under-represented minori- ties are encouraged to apply. Duke University is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer.

n The Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute, a national institute in North Carolina, seeks postdoctoral fellows for 2009– 2010. Fellows are typically appointed for two years, earn a very competi- tive salary, and receive exceptional mentoring. See www.samsi.info for fur- ther information. Members of under- represented groups are particularly encouraged to apply. AA/EOE.

62 Amstat News January 2009 ES PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITI

Mathematical Statistician Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration/Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research Offi ce of Biostatistics and Epidemiology

Closing Date: January 30, 2009

Mathematical Statistician The Food and Drug Administration Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Offi ce of Biostatistics and Epidemiology is soliciting applications from well-trained statisticians with interest or experience in statistical genetics, genetic epidemiology, pharmacogenomics or bioinformatics. New positions are being established that will offer opportunities for research and statistical collaborations using genomics and related technologies to advance the safety and development of biologic products such as cellular, tissue, and gene therapies; blood and blood products; and preventive vaccines. Candidates will work collaboratively with medical colleagues and expert laboratory scientists to apply their expertise to areas such as clinical, epidemiological or laboratory study design and analysis. CBER Mathematical Statisticians work in an environment dedicated to the public health and upholding the highest scientifi c standards in research and evaluation of new biological therapies and vaccines. Good written and oral communication skills are essential. Successful candidates will interact extensively with and actively foster collaborations with other FDA reviewers and scientists in other government agencies, industry, and academia. He or she will represent CBER at meetings and workshops focusing on methods and policies using genetic and genomic technologies to evaluate and advance biologic product safety.

Qualifi cations: A degree that included 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, of which at least 12 semester hours were in mathematics and 6 semester hours were in statistics. OR A combination of education and experience: at least 24 semester hours of mathematics and statistics, including at least 12 hours in mathematics and 6 hours in statistics, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Candidates for Civil Service or Commissioned Corps appointments must be U.S. Citizens. U.S. Citizens and non-U.S. Citizens may be eligible for service fellowship appointments.

Staff Fellow candidates must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent degree plus two or more years of post- doctoral research experience.

Salary Range: The salary range (GS-13) is $82,961.00-$107,854.00. Salary will be set commensurate with education and experience.

How to Apply: Submit resume or curriculum vitae with cover letter to: Food and Drug Administration, CBER/Offi ce of Biostatistics and Epidemiology Attn: Steven Anderson, 1401 Rockville Pike, HFM-210, Rockville, MD 20852, or send e-mail to steven. [email protected] or fax to 301-827-5218. If you have any questions please call 301-827-3034.

For further information please visit our website at http://www.fda.gov/cber/inside/vacancy.htm

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND HAS A SMOKE FREE ENVIRONMENT

January 2009 Amstat News 63 Ohio OR. This position is responsible for leading the station statistics unit and n Case Western Reserve University is the primary statistical consultant for School of Medicine seeks to hire a station research programs. Open to PhD-level faculty member at the assis- U.S. citizens only. For further infor- tant professor level in the Center for mation on application, contact Pat Clinical Investigation (CCI). CCI Cunningham ([email protected]).

OPPORTUNITIPROFESSIONAL ES faculty will develop and lead new The U.S. Department of Agriculture academic programs in clinical inves- Forest Service prohibits discrimination tigation, collaborate/consult on clini- in all its programs and activities on the cal studies of all types, and carry out basis of race, color, national origin, their own research programs. To apply, age, disability, and where applicable, send CV and list of three references to sex, marital status, familial status, [email protected]. In employment, parental status, religion, sexual orien- as in education, CWRU is committed tation, genetic information, political to Equal Opportunity and Diversity. beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to of an individual’s income is derived work in the United States. Women and from any public assistance program. minorities are encouraged to apply.

n The Department of Statistics at Oregon Oregon State University invites appli- cants for a tenure-track assistant n U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest professor starting September of 2009 Research Station will soon be advertis- (12-month appointment at 0.75 FTE). ing for a station statistician (GS-14) Requirements include a PhD in sta- located in Portland, OR; Olympia, tistics or biostatistics at appointment WA; Wenatchee, WA; or La Grandee, start date and evidence of excellent teaching, research, and consulting potential. Preference will be given to candidates with a demonstrable com- mitment to promoting and enhancing NORC conducts high quality social science diversity. For more information: http:// research in the public interest from its head- stat.oregonstate.edu/JobAnnounceA. quarters at the University of Chicago and OSU is an Affirmative Action/Equal from its offices in Chicago, IL, Washington, Opportunity Employer and has a policy DC, Bethesda, MD, and Berkeley, CA. of being responsive to the needs of dual- We conduct research in economics, demo- career couples. graphics, education and child development, health, substance abuse, mental health, justice, and survey quality both in the U.S. and internationally. We offer full-service survey design and operations as well as Pennsylvania strengths in analysis, information technol- n ogy, and technical assistance. NORC sup- University of Pennsylvania, The ports the research needs of government in Wharton School (Philadelphia): the U.S. and abroad, international donor Tenure-track or tenured position agencies, foundations, academic research- beginning July 2009. Applicants ers, and private organizations. should show outstanding capacity and NORC is actively seeking statisticians, achievement in research and excellent survey methodologists, statistical program- mers, data managers, survey directors, communication skills. The department, and social scientists with advanced training located in the business school, is inter- or experience in survey research or survey ested in applications in all scientific operations. New staff will be based in our areas and provides services to the whole Chicago, IL or Washington, DC offices. To university. To submit your applica- learn more about NORC and to apply for employment, visit our website at: tion, visit www-stat.wharton.upenn. http://www.norc.org/careers edu/~buja/jobopening. The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity/ NORC is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer that values and actively seeks diversity in the workforce.

64 Amstat News January 2009 Welcome to ASA ES PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITI

Members Only

Make the most of your ASA membership. Visit the ASA Members Only site! Personalize your login ID Access all your ASA journal, CIS, and JSTOR subscriptions with one easy login Learn about partner discounts from Wiley, CRC Press, and others Join ASA member forums Read the e-news archive

www.amstat.org/membersonly January 2009 Amstat News 65 affirmative action employer; women and minority candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

n Possible tenure-track, lecturer, visit- ing positions. Collegial environment

OPPORTUNITIPROFESSIONAL ES emphasizing disciplinary and cross- disciplinary research and teaching. All areas of statistics welcome. Joint appointments possible with other units in the Pittsburgh area. See www. stat.cmu.edu (email: [email protected]. edu). Send CV, research papers, rel- evant transcripts, and three recom- mendation letters to Faculty Search Committee, Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. Application screening begins immediately and continues until posi- tions closed. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. AA/EOE.

66 Amstat News January 2009 ES PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITI

Texas opportunities to postdoc in Bayesian leaders in their technical fields who computation in multiscale data analy- have made the commitment to solve n The Children’s Nutrition Research sis and predictive statistical modeling, real-world problems. To learn about Center (CNRC) at Baylor College of space-time modeling in geostatistics Metron and our career opportunities, Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX (http:// and atmospheric science, and statistical please visit www.metsci.com. EOE. kidsnutrition.org/about_us/ inverse problems. Submit applications statistician.html) is seeking statistician (CV, research statement, and three for faculty position. The successful letters of recommendation in .pdf ) International candidate will be a fully independent to [email protected] by February 15 n Tenure-track assistant professor position faculty member and develop a program 2009. Texas A&M University is an of externally funded research. Please in the Dept. of ISOM, starting July 1, equal opportunity, affirmative action 2009. Excellence in research and teach- send your letter of interest, resume, employer committed to diversity. five professional articles and names ing and PhD required by employment and addresses of three referees to Tom start date. The statistics group is heavily Baranowski, 1100 Bates St., Houston, involved in a new undergraduate degree TX 77030. Baylor College of Medicine Virginia program in risk management and business intelligence. Applicants with prior business is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative n Metron is a scientific consulting school experience/interests in business- Action/Equal Access Employer. firm with expertise in physical model- related statistical research are especially ing, mathematics, operations research, welcome. Submit CV and three referees and software development. We address to [email protected] www.ust.hk/eng/index. n The Institute for Applied challenging problems in the develop- htm. HKUST is an Equal Opportunity Mathematics and Computational ment of high technology systems for Employer. n Science (IAMCS) at Texas A&M defense, aerospace, and commercial University is inviting applications for applications. Metron’s employees are postdoctoral fellowships. There are

January 2009 Amstat News 67 OPPORTUNITIPROFESSIONAL ES ATTENTION SEC TION OFFICERS

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68 Amstat News January 2009 ES PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITI

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70 Amstat News January 2009 January 2009 Amstat News 71 cive working environments. Please visit www.amstat.org/profession/ index.cfm?fuseaction= ethicalstatistics or contact Member Services to receive a copy.

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72 Amstat News January 2009 The American Statistical Association Offers

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January 2009 Amstat News 73 Salary Report An annual report of salaries of academic statisticians for instruc-

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74 Amstat News January 2009 Looking for a

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January 2009 Amstat News 75 JANUARY 2009 • Issue #379

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MISC. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES The Ohio State University...... p. 67 The University of North Carolina...... p. 38 SAS ...... p. 69

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Texas A&M University...... p. 53 U.S. Census Bureau...... p. 61, 62 Alberta Health Services ...... p. 59 University of Michigan...... p. 54 The Cambridge Group...... p. 49 The University of North Dakota...... p. 53 Capital One...... p. 54 The University of Texas School of Case Western Reserve University...... p. 56 Public Health...... p. 56, 64 Central Intelligence Agency...... p. 57 Westat ...... p. 56 Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. . p. 55 Drexel University School of Public Health. . . . p. 66 Fannie Mae ...... p. 60 SOFTWARE FDA...... p. 63 JMP, a business unit of SAS...... cover 3 The George Washington University...... p. 61 Minitab, Inc...... p. 32, 33 Marine Biological Laboratory...... p. 50 NCSS...... p. 44 Marquette University...... p. 60 SPSS ...... cover 4 New York University ...... p. 57 Stat-Ease...... p. 37 NIAID/NIH ...... p. 50 Statistical Solutions ...... p. 47 NIH...... p. 66 StatSoft ...... cover 2 NORC...... p. 64 SYSTAT...... p. 41 North Carolina State University...... p. 51

76 Amstat News January 2009 ii Amstat News January 2009