November 2019

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2 amstat news november 2019 president's corner

Making a Statistical Impact with Text Data

ne of the great pleasures—and benefits— mobile devices are collecting personal fitness data, of belonging to the ASA is the opportunity and users want to know how the data can be associ- to hear about problems on which we can ated with how they feel emotionally and physically. makeO an impact. In this column and the next, I’ll Combinations of machine learning and natural mention some of these, which will include progress language processing algorithms have been applied to on the 2019 initiatives (impact, disinformation, such data, and both offer opportunities for statisti- diversity), pointing us to new challenges to pursue. cians to evaluate their accuracies and uncertainties. One big challenge to which statistics can con- Another example arises in experiments to assess the tribute solutions concerns text data. Surveys and accuracy of eyewitness identification. In such experi- Karen Kafadar questionnaires prefer specific-choice questions (e.g., ments, a “mock eyewitness” (lab participant) views member news “On a scale of 1 to 10, rate …”) to avoid open- a video of a crime, and then sees a lineup of, say, six 25 People News ended responses (e.g., “Other (specify) ….”). But photos of possible perpetrators. Experimenters believe in many areas, text responses may be preferable or strongly that confidence in the identification is related 28 Awards and Deadlines even essential. For example, a physician may ask the to accuracy, so they ask their participants, “How con- patient to describe the level and location of discom- fident are you in your identification?” Participants’ 30 Section Chapter Committee News • • fort or the times when pain is greatest. The data choices are “0% confident,” “20%,” “40%,” “60%,” 34 Calendar of Events from such responses can be important for evaluating “80%,” or “100% confident.” One’s answer of “100%” a treatment remedy under consideration (e.g., under may be someone else’s (like a statistician’s) “60%” (stat- 40 Professional Opportunities what patient conditions is the treatment likely to be isticians are not accustomed to claiming “100% certain “successful,” where “success” also must be quantified on anything). and may depend on the patient). Moreover, such experiments are often conducted In more complicated situations, a clinician must with university psychology students who may have mark on a schematic of the body the location and experience with quantifying their confidence with size of bruises, lacerations, and other physical aber- such a scale, but police officers know the typical rations, which are translated into text (e.g., “upper victim or eyewitness asked to identify a perpetrator right arm”). How do we use these data as features from a lineup will have no clue what “60% confi- for classifying patients into categories of severity of dent” means. So, in real life, the officer can only ask physical condition? the eyewitness to describe in words, “How confi- This problem recently came to my attention dent are you?” The response may depend not only from a professor in our school of nursing who often on factors specific to the crime and eyewitness (e.g., is asked to testify about the features associated with time between the crime and identification process, attempted strangulation of an assault victim. The difference in ages and races between eyewitness forensic nurse’s testimony is important because and perpetrator, the eyewitness’s tendency toward nonlethal strangulation may result in a felony con- conservative versus confident responses), but also viction in most states. If the nurse testifies that the on the officer’s interpretation of the response. One features found on physical examination of the vic- officer might interpret, “I’m pretty sure” as “80% tim are consistent with nonlethal strangulation, the confident,” while another officer might interpret it judge may order the person charged to remain in jail as “90%” or “100% confident.” Further, the quan- until trial. So, these features can be crucial evidence titative translation of that response may depend on to support a conviction (otherwise the perpetrator other comments from the eyewitness during the could be released, free to strike again). Electronic identification process. health records generally have these data issues in How do we extract useful information from multiple formats. such responses so we will know whether to advise The challenges of text data arise with personal police officers to trust or dismiss such responses health and recommender systems also. Increasingly, about “confidence”? We need methods to extract

november 2019 amstat news 3 the relevant information quickly, process text data US adult population use Twitter”). The need for the mathematically, summarize the data, and ultimately spatial origin of the tweets was a further limitation. interpret it in the context of other features. And we The authors note from previous studies that only will need to translate our findings into language 1–2 percent of tweets may contain GPS information others can understand! and that “users who enable geotagging of their tweets Some of the same issues related to processing differ demographically from those who do not.” text data arise in classifying news articles as either Nonetheless, such analyses may provide ideas for genuinely informative, mostly informative apart designing and analyzing future studies. (Incidentally, from unintentional reporting errors, or intentionally representativeness may possibly undermine some inaccurate. Such is the task of the “disinformation” experiments in eyewitness identification. Often, they initiative being co-chaired by former ASA President use online platforms to collect voluntary participants Jessica Utts and Duke Computer Scientist and as their “mock eyewitnesses.” How many of you have Associate Chair Jun Yang. How “robust” are news signed up to participate in an online experiment for stories to misinterpretations? In fact, how do we a modest compensation for your time?) even “measure” degrees of misinterpretations so we On the enormous quantities of data in the life sci- can minimize the errors when the news story is read? ences, Dave Dunson said in an article titled “Boston What “loss functions” or “penalty terms” apply to University to Hold Symposium on Statistics and such misinterpretations of text data? Life Sciences,” published in the October 2019 issue Members of this task force are collecting resourc- of Amstat News, “Statistics has had a fundamental es related to documented instances of “disinforma- impact on this paradigm shift in the way life science tion” and open problems related to the classification is being conducted; there is no use in collecting such of news items from multiple sources. They will be data unless we have reliable and reproducible meth- turning that information into a white paper with a ods for analysis and interpretation. The develop- list of possible research directions ripe for collabora- ment of ‘big data’ statistics has freed up scientists to tion between computer scientists and statisticians. be creative in developing and exploring new sources They also are creating a website of resources pertain- of data.” With those developments come the chal- ing to studies on “fake news,” which will be made lenges of characterizing their accuracy in translation available to ASA members. The translation of find- and minimizing the costs associated with misinter- ings for nonstatisticians is even more critical here, as preting them. it affects not just our research collaborators, but also What other broad areas are ripe for statistical the general public. A subset of the task force is inves- analysis? David Williamson is chairing the Impact tigating mechanisms for effectively educating the Initiative, which includes a “challenge” to our com- public about how to recognize attempts at fake news. munity to propose areas in which statistics is well Social media data are another source of text data, positioned to make a big impact. For example, 30 and the analysis of such data raises additional com- years ago, one might have proposed genomics and plications. In a 2019 American Journal of Public proteomics; 10 years ago, perhaps it might have Health paper, Quynh Nguyen and her colleagues been the application of statistical methods and used geotagged Twitter data to study associations design to validating forensic evidence. Today, per- between sentiments and health behaviors expressed haps “disinformation” or processing text data gener- in the tweets and aggregate county-level health out- ally might make the list. If you offer your proposal comes such as rates of mortality, obesity, and sub- to Impact Initiative committee members, you may stance abuse. see a community of statisticians making an impact Analyses of such data raise issues we need to in this world by working on it in the years ahead. consider. First, Steven Piantadosi and his col- Keep those ideas coming—we look forward to see- leagues warned us in their 1988 American Journal ing them! of Epidemiology paper of “The Ecological Fallacy” about drawing inferences from aggregate data for Editor’s Note: Barry Graubard, David Hoaglin, and individual outcomes. Second, users of social media Jessica Utts contributed to this column. in a given county are not likely to be representative of the county’s population (the authors acknowledge “only 23% of all internet users and 20% of the

4 amstat news november 2019 THE AMERICAN STATISTICIAN HIGHLIGHTS November TAS Spans Range of Topics Dan Jeske, The American Statistician Editor

he November 2019 issue of The American Statistician features 11 articles and two letters to the editor. TThe General section has three articles. The first looks into tests for trends over time in multinomial probabilities. A test of no trend versus the alternative of a trend for at least one of the categories is discussed. The second article formulates a two-sided test by decomposing the alternative into multiple directional alternatives. The test procedure is a set of rules that maps the rejection decision to a specific alternative. The third article addresses the replica- tion crisis through a Bayesian lens. A Bayesian rep- lication factor developed for a two-group setting is extended to a more general multi-group setting. The Statistical Practice section has two articles. The first is concerned with missing data issues in logistic regression. Nonignorable missing responses are considered and a method to reduce the bias in the estimated regression coefficients is presented. The second paper delves into power and sample size considerations for linear mixed models. Mapping the linear mixed model to a multivariate linear model is modeling effort is to understand whether the aid key to making these calculations more tractable. is being delivered efficiently to the areas that most There are two articles in the Teacher’s Corner. need it. The first provides powerful geometric intuition for An article in the History Corner reviews the his- the tail formula used to compute the expected value tory of industrial statistics and profiles several pio- of a random variable. Several interesting examples neering industrial statistics organizations. are given, and multivariate extensions are discussed. A short technical note in this issue revisits the The second paper is a comparative review of alter- mean value theorem for vector-valued estimating native textbooks that might be used for an under- functions. The article is a follow-up to a previously graduate course in nonparametric statistics. published TAS paper on this topic. An article in the Statistical Computing and The November issue concludes with two letters Graphics section proposes a framework for assessing to the editor. The first addresses a TAS paper that statistical computing tools. The framework could be modeled baseball slugging percentage and the sec- useful for developers of statistical tools and/or edu- ond raises an interesting question about how power cators using statistical tools in their courses. calculations should proceed if a significance thresh- An article in the Interdisciplinary section uses old cutoff (e.g., .05) is to be avoided. spatial generalized linear models to study the alloca- To view the articles, visit www.tandfonline.com/ tion of foreign aid to Malawi. The purpose of the toc/utas20/current or log in at www.amstat.org. n

november 2019 amstat news 5 Left: 2019 educational ambassadors Carlos A. Diaz-Tufinio (Mexico) and Vikash R. Satyal (Nepal) with Drew Baughman, Committee on International Relations in Statistics chair. Middle: Saleha Habibullah, 2018 educational ambassador from Pakistan, participates in a session at JSM. Right: Geert Molenberghs, chair of the ASA Committee on International Relations; Saleha Habibullah, 2018 educational ambassador from Pakistan; Seksan Kiatsupaibul, 2018 educational ambassador from Thailand; and David Williamson, an ASA Board member, meet at the Committee on International Relations in Statistics Meeting during JSM 2018 in Vancouver. Educational Ambassadors Sought

he ASA Committee on International • Provide periodic updates and submit a final Relations in Statistics is seeking qualified report by December 2021 to the ASA through nationals from Ukraine, Democratic the Committee on International Relations in TRepublic of Congo, Uganda, Kazakhstan, Statistics and the ambassador’s home institu- Turkmenistan, and/or Central African Republic to tion. The report should describe how the serve as 2020 Educational Ambassadors. transfer of knowledge was accomplished and In 2020, the ASA will select two educational how the ambassador invited statisticians from ambassadors to receive funding to attend the Joint their country to work with them on the sub- Statistical Meetings and take one or more continu- ject matter of their course. ing education (CE) courses in an emerging area of The ASA will arrange and pay for the selected research. The ambassadors will then return to dis- ambassadors’ airfare, hotel, meeting registration, and seminate the subject matter in their home country CE course registration. The ASA also will reimburse and/or region. the visa application fee and provide a $500 stipend. The application deadline is December 31. Candidates for the ambassadorship must hold Selected ambassadors will be expected to com- a PhD or equivalent degree in statistics or a relat- plete the following by December 2021: ed field and be employed at the level of assistant or associate professor at a recognized university or • Attend the 2020 Joint Statistical Meetings in research organization promoting the teaching and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to take CE cours- application of statistics. es in an emerging area of statistics research. Interested candidates should send the following to To view CE courses offered in 2019, search committee chair, Drew Baughman, at [email protected]: for “Continuing Education Course” at ww2. 1. A curriculum vitae amstat.org/meetings/jsm/2019/onlineprogram. 2. A proposal (at most two pages) describing • Return to their home country and, within how the ambassadorship will help disseminate the next year, offer the equivalent of a one- knowledge of statistics in your country and semester master’s-level class with no fewer how the ASA’s expectations set forth above than 10 students on the subject matter of will be implemented upon your return home the CE course and write lecture notes in the language locally deemed most appropriate. 3. A letter from the head of your academic unit Ambassadors are expected to repeat the offer- (e.g., department chair, director, or dean) ing at least once. The committee understands indicating institutional support for your dis- there can be practical or organizational semination plan considerations that make this a challenging requirement, so we are prepared to work with For more information or to become involved, the ambassadors to devise an appropriate plan. contact Baughman. n The ASA will also investigate the possibility of providing further assistance through recorded webinars related to the CE course material. 6 amstat news november 2019 Diagnosing and Treating Noncommunicable Diseases Around the World Kelly H. Zou, Jim Z. Li, and Nikuj (Nik) Sethi

Kelly H. Zou, vice president and head of medical analytics and insights at the Upjohn Division of Pfizer Inc.; Jim Z. Li, senior director of medical analytics and insights at the Upjohn Division of Pfizer Inc.; and Nik Sethi, business technology lead at the Upjohn Division of Pfizer Inc., taught a three-part web- based lecture on generating and harnessing real-world evidence (RWE), health information technology (HIT), and artificial intelligence (AI). The lecture was jointly sponsored by the Biopharmaceutical, Health Policy Statistics, and Statistical Learning and Data Science sections. Here, Richard Zink from the Biopharmaceutical Section asks the lecturers a few follow-up questions.

Kelly, describe your recent diseases (like heart attacks and Nik: I am the BT lead for work since the inter- stroke), cancer, chronic respira- Upjohn’s research, development, view on ASA Biopharm’s tory diseases (such as chronic and medical functions and a peer Podcast in 2017. obstructed pulmonary disease and of both Jim and Kelly. Upjohn’s My colleagues here and I have asthma), and diabetes. mission is relieving the burden been busy looking for ways to of NCDs with trusted, qual- improve treatment for noncom- Give us a brief overview ity medicines for every patient, municable diseases, known as of your current roles and everywhere. We seek to leverage the NCDs, around the world. how you became inter- our portfolio, experience, and According to the World Health ested in statistics, data expertise to become the trusted Organization (WHO), “noncom- science, and business partner of choice to all stake- municable or chronic diseases are technology. holders committed to improving diseases of long duration and gen- Jim: Kelly and I both work in patient health. We aim to signifi- erally slow progression.” According medical analytics and insights, cantly expand access to our high- to the WHO, there are four major research, development, and medi- quality medicines. Our goal is to NCD categories: cardiovascular cal in Pfizer’s Upjohn venture. treat 225 million new patients

november 2019 amstat news 7

Kelly: Some startling statistics: NCDs are the leading cause of death around the world, kill- ing 41 million people per year, by 2025, and it appears to be an equivalent to 71% of all deaths How can RWD be use- achievable goal to make a global globally, with more than three ful for diagnosing and impact in health care. quarters (32 million) occur- treating NCDs? ring in low- and middle-income Jim: While Kelly is a statistician countries. The devastation of Kelly: For medical research- by training, our career paths took such a “silent killer” increasingly ers serving in industry, govern- us from medicine, health care becomes a global health burden. ment, and academia around the policy, [and] business technol- In the US, cardiovascular diseases world, RWD, big data, and digi- ogy to health care innovation. accounted for 840,678 deaths in tal capabilities and technologies In each step of the way, statis- 2016 (i.e., approximately 1 of must be enabled and elevated tics, data science, and analytics every 3 deaths, bit.ly/2oPYVBl). globally, especially when ran- are not only important tools and In 2010, the global cost of CVD domized controlled trials (RCT) methodological bases, but also is estimated at $863 billion, and become increasingly costly. There infrastructure and enablement it is estimated to rise to $1,044 are tremendous opportunities building. Therefore, our diverse billion in 2030. around the world to gain insights backgrounds and capabilities are through RWE and digital infor- complementary, especially for Nik: Given the prevalence mation outside RCTs. interdisciplinary and collabora- of NCDs globally—includ- tive work in the spirit of being ing emerging markets, Greater Jim: For example, in developing fast, focused, flexible, and fun. China, and developed mar- countries in Asia, Latin America, kets—developing new capabili- Africa, and the Middle East, there Describe some of the ties that are practical and built is a large population that can opportunities and chal- on accessible technologies is key benefit from breakthroughs that lenges of RWE for non- to identifying patients that may change patients’ lives. The expan- communicable diseases, be unknowingly impacted by sion of the middle class, the desire known as the NCDs. an NCD, educating health care for quality medicines and thera- Jim: According to the World providers on treatment options pies, and the rise of NCDs are the Health Organization, there are for NCDs—above and beyond a realities these regions face every four major non-communicable single disease—and working with day. Furthermore, the advances disease categories. Here, the word payers to demonstrate through in information and telecom- noncommunicable means these RWE and technology capabilities munication infrastructures have diseases are not contagious. The how addressing NCD burden also drastically improved, which first is cardiovascular diseases broadly can provide significant has enabled a massive amount of (like heart attacks and stroke). value in the health care system. RWD to be generated from many The second is cancer. The third is These opportunities make our sources outside the RCT frame- chronic respiratory diseases (such work ever more important, par- work. Such data sources include as chronic obstructed pulmonary ticularly in developing countries electronic health records, patient disease and asthma). The fourth in the emerging markets. registries, patient-reported out- is diabetes. comes, and digital apps.

8 amstat news november 2019 Nik: Speaking of opportunities That has a direct impact on me, and formats in databases harder to but at the same time challenges, saving me time and giving me a standardize. These countries also cutting-edge innovation can be more personal relationship. tend to have increased data and pri- EDITOR’S NOTE enabled when data are available From a health care perspec- vacy protections, as well as diverse The views expressed or in aggregate. In this new era of tive, AI is having a profound data formats sitting in patient reg- here are the data as precious as oil, data inte- impact across the spectrum, istries without being standardized authors’ and do not gration, access, interoperability, from research and drug develop- and connected (see www.bmj.com/ necessarily represent standardization, quality control, ment to patient care—including content/360/bmj.j5262). those of Pfizer Inc. security, and privacy protection health care management. A great MORE ONLINE are important issues where data example is in medical imaging Kelly: Let me give some final Kelly Zou was is available. A major barrier, how- and diagnostics, in which tech- closing remarks here. It is cer- interviewed for ASA ever, is simply accessing data due nologies are being used to detect tainly an exciting era for stat- Biopharm’s Podcast to a diverse set of sources and skin cancer from photos taken isticians and data scientists to in 2017. Listen to it repositories of data. As we move by patients (see www.skinvision. make meaningful and impactful at www.buzzsprout. com/16296/567031- into a new era of RWD in the com). The key question for lead- contributions to combat these episode-45-kelly-zou. health care landscape, a key chal- ers in the industry is how to put chronic and debilitating NCDs. lenge is going to be how to make such a complex set of informa- Skillful statistics and data sci- data accessible to the right par- tion together within the unique ence capabilities are critical in ties at the right time to only be country-specific health care gaining insights from RWE. For used as prescribed. Finally, once systems and data repositories, digital and technological innova- data is accessible, deriving algo- which will improve diagnoses tions that can target therapies and rithms that are robust and tai- and treatment. optimal treatment strategies, it is lored toward the specific patient imperative to foster collabora- populations will enable patient Jim: The different languages in tions and partnerships. n identification and help address those countries may make variables challenges around the patient journey. The challenge we are facing as an industry is the short- age of talent in both data transla- tors, who are like shepherds with subject-matter expert knowledge, and data scientists. ASA, in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) under a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) is pleased to announce a Senior AI is a commonly used Research Fellow Program for 2020. term these days. Most statisticians likely think The Fellowship Program at BLS allows research fellows to come to the BLS and use BLS data and of it in terms of predictive facilities and interact with BLS staff . More information is available on the BLS website at http://www. bls.gov/osmr/asa_nsf_bls_fellowship_info.htm or in our brochure at https://www.amstat.org/asa/fi les/ modeling. What other pdfs/YCR-ASANSFBLSFellowshipProgram.pdf uses of AI are there? Are Application Deadline: January 3, 2020 there examples of AI that are being used in The Fellowship Program at BEA off ers a unique opportunity to perform research at the Bureau of practice? What does the Economic Analysis. BEA produces key economic statistics that infl uence government policy, fore- future hold for AI? casting and business investment. Fellows will have access to BEA data and the expertise of BEA staff . More information is available at: Nik: From a consumer’s perspec- https://www.bea.gov/research/fellowship-program or in our brochure at tive, AI has in many ways become http://www.amstat.org/asa/fi les/pdfs/YCR-BEA.pdf pervasive in enabling mobile Application Deadline: January 3, 2020 devices and applications running on the mobile devices to be more Eligibility An academically recognized research record and considerable expertise in the area of proposed re- intelligent. For instance, I recent- search required. U.S. government employees are not eligible to apply. Applicants must be affi liated ly got a text message from a num- with a U.S. institution. ber that was not saved in my con- Condition of Appointment/Benefi ts tact list, and the phone (searching Research will be conducted at the government agency. The stipend received is commensurate with through my other messages and qualifi cations and experience. Term of appointment is fl exible. Fringe benefi ts and travel allowances emails) suggested who the person are negotiable. could have been and was correct.

november 2019 amstat news 9 Students read materials from exhibitors during StatFest 2019. StatFest 2019: Meant to Be StatFest 2019 Planning Committee

ropical Storm Imelda Science Center at Houston dropped more than 30 (UTH). Participants from the inches of rain in south- Austin campus joined remotely Teast Texas September 17–19. via the institution’s interactive Conference organizers strongly television connection. considered canceling StatFest Despite Imelda and poor 2019 due to widespread flooding weather conditions, more than and Federal Aviation 120 participants attended: Students listen to Eric Boerwinkle welcome them to Administration–mandated flight approximately 44 percent under- StatFest 2019. stoppages. But on September 20, graduate students; 19 percent the grey clouds began to roll graduate students; and 37 percent away and the high water began to professionals in academia, govern- recede. Planning committee ment, or industry. chair, Adrian Coles, said, “The The program started with a water receded much faster than welcome and opening remarks expected! It’s almost as if StatFest from Eric Boerwinkle, dean 2019 was meant to be.” of the UTH School of Public On September 21, the ASA Health, and Rob Santos, 2021 Committee on Minorities in president of the American Statistics (CMS) held the 19th Statistical Association. annual StatFest conference. Renee Moore of Emory StatFest is a one-day event aimed University Rollins School of at encouraging undergraduate Public Health was this year’s students from historically under- keynote speaker, and Hadley represented groups to consider Wickham of RStudio was a fea- graduate studies and careers in tured speaker. statistics and data science. Two panel discussions intro- Exhibitors connect students to opportunities during This year’s event was hosted duced participants to diverse sta- StatFest 2019. by the University of Texas Health tistics and data science careers in

10 amstat news november 2019 academia, government, industry, and consulting. Folefac Atem of UTH Dallas shared best practices on preparing for graduate school, and Jemar Bather of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health provided practical guid- ance on networking and intrap- ersonal skills. There was a student-only session, titled “The Graduate Changes Coming to Student Experience,” that con- sisted of panelists who are enrolled in master’s and doctoral NSF’s Social, Behavioral, programs in statistics and data science. During the session, faculty and professionals attended a and Economic Sciences parallel session that explored ways to help the represented organizations and institutions become Directorate more diverse and inclusive. Other highlights included he Social, Behavioral, According to Lupia, NSF will MORE ONLINE a poster session, an ice cream and Economic Sciences release a letter explaining the The COSSA webchat social, and an exhibition area. Directorate (SBE) at the changes and include descriptions is available at bit. Throughout the day, partici- TNational Science Foundation of the new programs. In addition, ly/2MpyXh2. pants were able to connect with (NSF) will be releasing changes the directorate will hold a series Slides of the webchat representatives from more than to several of its longstanding of webinars to answer questions can be viewed at bit. 10 graduate programs and pro- programs in the coming weeks. from the social science communi- ly/2MqRb1Q. fessional organizations. During the Consortium ty about the repositioning effort. Although attendance was of Social Science Associations COSSA will share the details of approximately 20 percent less (COSSA) Headlines web- both the letter and webinar series than expected due to Imelda, chat (see bit.ly/2MpyXh2), when they are made available. organizers received positive feed- Arthur Lupia—assistant direc- Of the eight existing pro- back from attendees during and tor for Social, Behavioral, and grams to be changed, the direc- after the event—suggesting #19 Economic Sciences—gave a torate has only released full was another impactful event in preview of what those changes details of the changes to the the history of StatFest. will entail. political science program, which StatFest 2020 is scheduled to The changes, which will go will be split into “Accountable be held at Eli Lilly and Company into effect for deadlines and Institutions and Behavior” (bit. in Indianapolis, Indiana, and solicitation due dates after ly/2Bm1RZ8) and “Security and StatFest 2021 is scheduled to be January 1, 2020, are intended Preparedness” (bit.ly/2oEjUqR). held at Columbia University in to help policymakers and mem- For more information or New York. bers of the public better under- to sign up for additional webi- Read more about StatFest stand the value of the research nars, visit www.cossa.org. Follow 2019 on the ASA’s Committee on funded by SBE. However, the #COSSAHeadlines on Twitter Minorities in Statistics webpage repositioning is not intended to for details. n at https://community.amstat.org/ dramatically alter the types of cmis/events/statfest/statfest-2019. n research SBE supports.

november 2019 amstat news 11 A Tour of the International Statistics Scene Jana Asher, Committee on International Relations in Statistics Member and Slippery Rock University Assistant Professor

s the world’s largest community of statisticians, the home and, within the next year, teaches the subject matter American Statistical Association is an amazingly of the CE course(s) taken to a class of no fewer than 10 diverse body of professionals. Between the sec- students at the master’s-degree level. The EA then sub- tions,A which focus on particular statistical subfields; the mits a written report to the Committee on International chapters, which provide a regional platform for commu- Relations in Statistics about their experience in the pro- nication and collaboration; and the committees, which gram. Finally, during the following academic year, the EA focus on specific ASA initiatives or outreach efforts—not repeats the class he or she taught at least once, either in to mention the in-person meetings and online communi- person or through webinars. ties—it is easy to believe pretty much everything going on The EA program allows ASA members to learn about in the statistics profession is represented here. the statistics scene in a few specific countries each year. The world of statistics, however, extends far beyond the However, there is also an internationally focused commu- membership of the ASA—a fact that has been recognized nity of statisticians from across the world that connects fre- by the ASA leadership for a long time. To make sure the quently through international professional societies. ASA membership is aware of what happens in the statistics profession in other parts of the world, the ASA formed the International Statistics Professional Societies Committee on International Relations in Statistics (CIR) in There are multiple international organizations of inter- 1979. Briefly, the mission of the CIR is: est to statisticians and data scientists, the oldest of which is the International Statistical Institute (ISI, www.imstat. To identify goals, develop policies, and plan projects that org). Elected membership in the ISI is prestigious and foster activities involving international communications, requires letters of recommendation from three cur- exchange, and joint development with professional statisti- rent members; regular membership is also available. cians, societies, and other organizations in countries through- The ISI produces several publications—including the out the world; to keep ASA members and others informed of International Statistical Review—and serves as an umbrella these activities and to foster their involvement in them. organization for the Bernoulli Society for Mathematical Statistics and Probability (bernoulli-society.org), Connecting US Statisticians to the World International Association for Official Statistics (iaos-isi. The CIR helps the ASA membership interact with the org), International Association for Statistical Computing international community mainly through the Educational (iasc-isi.org), International Association for Statistical Ambassador Program (EAP). The CIR launched the EAP Education (iase-web.org), International Association of in 2005 with the following goals: Survey Statisticians (isi-iass.org), International Society • Welcome new international members to the for Business and Industrial Statistics (isbis-isi.org), and American Statistical Association International Environmetrics Society (environmetrics.org). Much like sections of the American Statistical Association, • Create trust between the ASA and other national each of these organizations holds meetings at a big ISI and international statistical societies convention called the World Statistics Congress that • Advance lasting collaboration between the ASA is held once every two years in a different country. The and those societies to allow ongoing exchanges next World Statistics Congress will be in the Hague (The of knowledge Netherlands), July 11–15, 2021. You might have noticed there isn’t a Bayesian Association Every year, the CIR recruits a number of Educational under the ISI umbrella. The International Society for Ambassadors (EAs) from foreign countries and subsidizes Bayesian Analysis (ISBA, bayesian.org) is a separate orga- their attendance at the Joint Statistical Meetings. It is the nization, founded in 1992, that focuses specifically on CIR’s hope that ASA members will interact with the EAs Bayesian analysis techniques. There are chapters of the at the Joint Statistical Meetings, learning more about the ISBA in Australia/Oceania, Brazil, Chile, East Asia, India, statistical community in their home countries. and South Africa; ISBA also boasts several topical sections, At JSM, the chosen EAs attend a continuing education including the Section on Biostatistics and Pharmaceutical (CE) course or courses in an emerging area of research Statistics and Section on Economics, Finance, and Business. (unknown in their own country) and receive ASA full The ISBA holds world meetings every two years; in 2022, membership for one year. Each EA then returns to their they will be in Montréal (Canada) and, in 2024, they will

12 amstat news november 2019 be in Venice (Italy). ISBA also produces the journal Bayesian Finally, the Caucus for Women in Statistics (cwstat.org) Analysis (projecteuclid.org/euclid.ba). deserves to be mentioned here, as the organization has recent- If biostatistics is your focus, you might want to check ly developed a more international focus. Founded in 1971 to out the International Biometric Society (IBS, biometric- address discrimination against women in the statistics field, society.org). Unlike the ISI, the IBS operates primarily the organization was instrumental in the establishment of the through its regional sections, some of which are country ASA Committee on Women in Statistics in the same year. based (e.g., Italian, Polish, Japanese) and some of which The CWS provides multiple benefits to members, includ- are larger (e.g., North African). In the United States, there ing access to webinars, mentoring opportunities, access to are two regional sections: the Eastern North American travel awards, career resources, and a network of committed Region (ENAR, enar.org), which includes all the United women and men who will support your career goals. States and Canada roughly east of Denver, Colorado, and the Western North American Region (WNAR, wnar.org), Regional International Organizations which includes the rest of the US and Canada. ENAR Several regions of the world have inter-country organizations holds annual spring meetings, and WNAR holds an annual that allow groups of countries to pool resources. There are conference in June. IBS, like ISI and ISBA, holds a large multiple professional organizations for statisticians in Europe world conference every two years; the next one will be in that are Europe-wide. For example, the International Society July of 2020 in Seoul (Korea). IBS also produces several for Clinical Biostatistics (www.iscb.info) runs conferences top-quality peer-reviewed publications, including Biometrics annually in different countries within the European Union. (bit.ly/2nTGJpX) and The Journal of Agricultural, Biological, Other Europe-based organizations include Statisticians in and Environmental Statistics (bit.ly/2VQdhxw). the Pharmaceutical Industry (psiweb.org) and the Statistical Maybe you would prefer to become involved with a Modelling Society (statmod.org). more field-specific organization. There are two that also fall There is a regional organization for Africa called the under biostatistics: The Society for Clinical Trials (sctweb. African Statistical Association (afsa-assoc.org); this organiza- org) and the International Genetic Epidemiology Society tion had gone defunct but was recently revitalized through (www.geneticepi.org). Both societies focus on specific appli- the efforts of the Ethiopian Statistical Organization. A recent cations of biostatistics, both have an annual meeting, and development in this geographic area was the founding of the both have an associated peer-reviewed journal. The Society West African Young Statisticians Association (waysas.org); this for Clinical Trials will be meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, organization is also based in Nigeria but provides mentoring in May 2020, and the International Genetic Epidemiology and training to statisticians throughout western Africa. Society is meeting in Hong Kong in July of 2020 (just prior to the IBS meeting in Seoul, South Korea, that year). Summary All these international societies serve similar functions This is a small taste of what is out there to explore in the for their members (i.e., organize meetings, publish journals, worldwide statistical community. provide training opportunities, and generally build a profes- If you are already planning to travel to a different sional community at an international level). The Casualty region of the world, the ASA Committee on International Actuarial Society (CAS, www.casact.org) takes on an addi- Relations in Statistics encourages you to consider attending tional role; they are a credentialing organization for actuar- a local conference or contacting the local statistical organiza- ies. As is stated on their website, CAS members are experts tion to learn where your foreign colleagues are working and in property and casualty insurance, reinsurance, finance, what they are working on. The Committee on International risk management, and enterprise risk management. If you Relations in Statistics will be unveiling a list of national are curious about what is required of an actuary, take a look. statistics organizations from around the world shortly. In In the Asian region, multiple countries have interna- the meantime, if you are traveling and want to be put into tional statistical associations, including China (International contact with a local statistician, contact Jana Asher at Jana. Chinese Statistical Association, ICSA, www.icsa.org/icsa), [email protected]. India (International Indian Statistical Association, IISA, Even if you are not planning to travel anytime soon to a intindstat.org), and South Korea (Korean International different region of the world, the CIR invites you to assist us Statistical Society, statkiss.org). Luckily for monolingual in welcoming future Educational Ambassadors who attend Americans, each of these websites is in English or has an the Joint Statistical Meetings. To start the connection, English version. The International Chinese Statistical Educational Ambassadors will be encouraged to directly Association and International Indian Statistical Association inform the ASA community about the statistical work co-sponsor the Joint Statistical Meetings and hold their own being done within their own country through an article in annual meetings. ICSA’s flagship journal is Statistica Sinica Amstat News prior to their attendance at the Joint Statistical (www3.stat.sinica.edu.tw/statistica), and while IISA’s flagship Meetings. So, look for information about the EAP in future journal for many years was Statistical Methodology (journals. editions of Amstat News and come meet us and our EAs at elsevier.com/statistical-methodology), the organization is in the the Joint Statistical Meetings in Philadelphia next year. n process of developing a new journal and publishes an edited book series (springer.com/series/16210).

november 2019 amstat news 13 columns

STATtr@k Don’t Just Cook Rice

n Chinese, the literal transla- way, don’t be the colleague who Health care is obviously tion for cooking, “zhŭ fàn,” is responds to a request with a table complicated, so there are many “cook rice.” What does this of numbers or data chart. First aspects involved with answer- haveI to do with data science? It’s ask what problem your colleague ing this question. One needs to a useful metaphor for working as is trying to solve. understand how a hospital func- an applied statistician (i.e., data What does it mean to solve tions, how clients make decisions scientist). To explain, let’s take a problem? I’ll use my current (they want good, not perfect, the cooking analogy further and experience to explain. My com- solutions), how data is structured Iyue Sung is compare ourselves to chefs. pany collects—for our clients— in the databases, statistics, pro- vice president of A chef uses both technical data that reflects how well health gramming, and process. The last enterprise analytics skills (e.g., knife skills, cooking care is delivered in hospitals, two are important because we try at Press Ganey, a technique) and subject knowledge medical offices, etc. We measure to scale all the work we do (i.e., health care data, consulting, and (the chemistry and nuance of how aspects such as patient experience develop a process in which we can technology company. ingredients interplay) to develop (perception of different facets of answer similar questions—for all He manages a team and cook a dish. Furthermore, their stay), employee engagement clients—without re-inventing the of data scientists who they don’t think about just the (perception of a hospital’s cul- wheel). The chef wants a kitchen uncover patterns individual dish, but the whole ture, processes, and quality), and running like an efficient assem- related to patient meal. You go to a restaurant not experience, workforce clinical outcomes (e.g., infection bly line to turn out quality meals engagement, nursing to eat, but to experience. rates, readmission rates). Clients consistently while accommodat- quality, and clinical Similarly, a data scientist uses access this data and related ana- ing special requests. quality. Iyue’s prior both technical skills (program- lytics through a web application Putting together the parts experience includes ming to create data visualizations built by our development team. above requires collaboration with electronic health and build models) and subject The obvious purpose of this a range of people—clients, client records company athenahealth and expertise (the math behind statis- information is to improve per- liaisons, health care experts, and Oliver Wyman, a tical methods) to turn data into formance (e.g., reduce infection database architects (to understand strategy consulting knowledge. But your job isn’t rates or decrease nurse turnover). the database’s structure). You may firm. He holds a to just build a model or create a And one of the data science also need to consult your data sci- PhD in statistics cool data visualization. It’s to help team’s function is to help our cli- ence colleague who wrote an R from The Ohio State someone make data-driven deci- ents improve their performance, (or Python) package that can be University and a BA in mathematics and sions. The analysis is one com- beyond what they can do with used for your problem. In other philosophy from ponent of the whole. It provides the application. A common prob- words, a project like this requires Boston University. supporting evidence for the larger lem might be, “I need to improve taking a broad perspective of what You can reach him objective of understanding the the patient-clinician relationship. it means to be a data scientist. by email (iyue.sung@ client’s problem and providing What components of care deliv- To understand this perspec- pressganey.com) or Twitter (@iyuesung). practical solutions. Put another ery impede that relationship?” tive and how our team solves

14 amstat news november 2019 columns

staff enable all patrons to enjoy the experience consistently. Your data science team should have the same components: infrastructure (e.g., database and software like R); processes (e.g., your own R packages and a version control system); and a wide range of expertise (programming, data engineering, statistics, industry knowledge). You cannot be an expert at everything, but the team can. If your team is well run, you can focus on your project, which is the “meal” of analysis, presen- tation, and decision-making. Through this collaborative experience, you and your colleagues will learn from each other. Art by Iyue Sung What I’ve described isn’t original and can be applied to these problems, I find it helpful much of the day producing ana- most fields. But given you’re an to group our responsibilities into lytic work and less time interact- applied statistician—someone the following four categories: ing with colleagues outside the who savors discovery and professional growth—you’ll surely find • Technical: Programming and team (but you should certainly statistical analysis tasks ask). In contrast, this ratio flips joy in thinking more broadly for group leaders. They spend about what it means to “do data • Process: Organized systems less time on technical matters and science.” Once you’ve mastered to get things done more on nontechnical tasks to cooking just rice (risotto ain’t easy), there is much to learn • Industry: Understanding the find more “business” for the team, about the many ways it can com- big picture of what you’re which, consequently, provides doing them more opportunities to grow. plete a meal and, ultimately, the Going back to the food anal- entire process of providing a con- • People: Interpersonal skills to ogy, think of the data science sistent dining experience. Enjoy get things done team as the restaurant staff. A the experience! n Within each category, a data restaurant requires infrastruc- scientist’s expertise and responsi- ture, processes, and a range bility grow—or shrink—as their of positions to run effectively. career progresses (represented in Together, the chef, manager, the diagram). Initially, they spend cooks, suppliers, and service

november 2019 amstat news 15 columns

STATS4GOOD Statistics at the Tipping Point: Data for Good in Environmental Advocacy nvironmental dangers are Hackathon Focuses on of greenhouse gas emissions in often described in terms of Climate Change Boston. Teams participating in tipping points—a maxi- The C40 Climate Leadership the hackathon developed innova- Emum greenhouse gas level, the Group (www.c40.org) is a net- tive solutions to help understand, total human population our work of major cities around the measure, and limit greenhouse gas planet can support, or the world working together to fight cli- sources. Many of these creative increase in temperature triggering mate change. C40 brings together data science applications can be With a PhD applied to other cities. in statistical a large rise in sea levels. As much mayors, city departments, business astrophysics, David as we hear about tipping points executives, and thought leaders The C40 hackathon is a great Corliss leads a data for environmental disasters, the around a mission to “collaborate example of an event using sta- science team at Fiat concept itself is benign: a mathe- effectively; share knowledge; and tistical science to fight climate Chrysler. He is the matical threshold in a small value drive meaningful, measurable, change, showing many best founder of Peace- Work, a volunteer that, when crossed, leads to a and sustainable action on climate practices needed to host a high- cooperative of large change in something else. change.” Ninety-four cities with quality event that makes the most statisticians and data Tipping points can also be a combined population of more impact: a core group or local scientists providing for good things, like the number than 700 million people partici- volunteers collaborated with a analytic support for of trees saved and planted for a pate in the network. A particular larger organization championing charitable groups sustainable oxygen supply or the focus of C40 is practical, substan- the cause they want to promote. and applying statistical methods number of statisticians partici- tive, and effective implementa- A small core group of organiz- in issue-driven pating in a hackathon to form a tion of the 2016 Paris Agreement ers developed careful plans and advocacy. nexus of cross-pollinating creative on climate change. carried the project through. A ideas for a better world. Last year, C40 partnered with trusted organization provided Examples of statistics at the Qlik and the city of Boston, a C40 data that can be easily transferred tipping point are all around us, member, to sponsor a hackathon. to the laptops of hackathon par- and all of us can participate in Boston supplied data energy use ticipants. A centrally located site making a difference for good. in buildings across the city, which with parking available nearby Here are some examples. accounts for almost three-fourths facilitated participation, and

16 amstat news november 2019

NOVEMBER2019.indd 16 10/25/19 3:25 PM columns

social media was used to pro- Identifying Climate mote the event. Altogether, the Change Vulnerabilities C40 hackathon was both a great in the Third World meeting of minds inspiring cre- Whether due to deforestation for ative solutions and a roadmap for farmland, pollution, overpopu- future events. lation, or other mechanisms, harmful practices in poor coun- Protecting Endangered tries are often contributors to Species with Machine climate change. Helping to meet Learning this need, the Global Facility for Another area in which Data for Disaster Reduction and Recovery Good is making a difference (GFDRR, www.gfdrr.org/en) col- in our natural world is animal laborated with Data for Good conservation. Monitoring the leader DataKind. movement of animals provides The GFDRR is a World critical data for conservations of Bank agency providing funding threatened and endangered spe- for projects addressing the risk Getting Involved cies. However, the devices used for of disasters around the world. A In Data for Good opportunities this month, tracking can be expensive, difficult UK-based DataKind team of vol- check out the student awards at http://asa. to implement, and short lived. unteer data scientists developed stat.uconn.edu. Sponsored by the Statistical They can also present a risk of a machine learning algorithm to Computing and Statistical Graphics sections, interfering with animal behavior, analyze satellite images, identify- possibly altering the very qualities ing buildings and their type and two student awards will be presented at JSM in researchers want to measure. use (www.elsevier.com/connect/ Philadelphia. The conservation group new-in-disaster-science-using- The John M. Chambers Statistical Software WildTrack (https://wildtrack.org) machine-learning-and-maps-to- Award honors software written by, or in has developed a system to iden- see-whos-vulnerable). collaboration with, an undergraduate tify individuals from several spe- This information can be used or graduate student. The Student Paper cies of animals from footprints. following a natural disaster to Photographs of the footprints identify population centers, criti- Competition recognizes a paper in the area of are digitized, and a machine cal infrastructure, and surviving statistical computing and statistical graphics. learning algorithm identifies the facilities to help aid agencies Neither are specific to Data for Good, but it’s a animal that made it with 90 per- respond more quickly and effec- great opportunity to show off your work while cent accuracy. tively. This analysis makes the making a positive difference with statistics. I hope These algorithms are being countries using them more resil- the D4G community will be well represented. developed by more than a dozen ient to natural disasters. university students around the More projects are in the works, The submission deadline for both awards is world. To date, there are algo- connecting volunteer statisticians December 15. rithms for 13 species. and data scientists to address UN Also of interest to Data for Good advocates and JMP, from the SAS Institute, sustainable development goals. supports the project and provides Data for Good opportuni- activists is the new ASA Leader HUB (https:// its data visualization software. ties to help preserve and protect community.amstat.org/asaleaderhub/home). The result of this collaboration the world around us are as varied It’s a central location for resources leaders in between an NGO, universities, as the concerns that need to be ASA chapters, sections, and interest groups can and industry is an inexpensive, addressed. When we participate use. Of particular interest is the ASA Chapter noninvasive, and effective method in Data for Good, each and every Stimulus program, supporting activities that of counting and monitoring threat- one of us has the power to become develop chapter interest and membership— ened and endangered animals. a tipping point—a point of lever- and Data for Good projects are a great way to age to bring about beneficial do it. change and create data-driven sustainable practices for better communities and a healthier world. n

november 2019 amstat news 17 JSM2020Flyer.pdf 1 6/20/19 4:48 PM

E DATES FOR PARTICIPANTS

July 18, 2019 – September 5, 2019 Invited Session Proposal Submission

September 30, 2019 Continuing Education Course Proposal Deadline

November 12, 2019 – December 10, 2019 Topic-Contributed Session Proposal Submission

December 3, 2019 – February , 2020 General Abstract Submission (all except invited papers and panels)

January 15, 2020 Computer Technology Workshop Proposal Deadline

January 22, 2020 – April 2, 2020 Meeting and Event Request Submission

February 3, 2020 – April 15, 2020 Late-Breaking Session Proposal Deadline

May 15, 2020 Draft Manuscript Deadline

E DATES FOR ATTENDEES

April 30, 2020 Registration and Housing Open (11:00 a.m. ET)

June 2, 2020 Early Registration Deadline

June 30, 2020 Regular Registration Deadline

June 30, 2020 Housing Deadline .amstat.org/meetings/sm/ JSM2020Flyer.pdf 1 6/20/19 4:48 PM meetings

E DATES FOR PARTICIPANTS

July 18, 2019 – September 5, 2019 Invited Session Proposal Submission STUDENT September 30, 2019 Continuing Education Course Proposal Deadline CONTEST November 12, 2019 – December 10, 2019 Topic-Contributed Session Proposal Submission

December 3, 2019 – February , 2020 General Abstract Submission (all except invited papers and panels)

January 15, 2020 Computer Technology Workshop Proposal Deadline

January 22, 2020 – April 2, 2020 Meeting and Event Request Submission Contest to PARTICIPATE February 3, 2020 – April 15, 2020 December 3, 2019 Late-Breaking Session Proposal Deadline Provide Student Contributed Abstract Submission Closes May 15, 2020 December 12, 2019 Draft Manuscript Deadline Software Demonstration Proposal Winner with Submission Closes February 11, 2020 E DATES FOR Travel Award Early Registration and Housing Opens ATTENDEES he Sixth International Conference on April 15, 2020 Establishment Statistics is sponsoring a student Speaker Registration Deadline April 30, 2020 contest with awards given in two tracks: nonre- Registration and Housing Open May 7, 2020 Tsponse treatment and analysis/visualization of econom- (11:00 a.m. ET) Early Registration Deadline ic statistical data. The goal of the contest is to encourage June 2, 2020 students to create interesting and challenging applica- May 8, 2020 Early Registration Deadline tions that test their technical skill and creativity. Regular Registration (increased fees apply) Winners will present their research at ICES VI and May 22, 2020 June 30, 2020 receive $1,500 to be used toward registration and/or Regular Registration Deadline travel expenses to attend the conference. Housing Deadline, 5:00 p.m. ET Reports are due by February 15, 2020. Winners will June 15–18, 2020 June 30, 2020 be notified on March 31, 2020. ICES VI in New Orleans, LA Housing Deadline Eligibility requirements and submission rules are .amstat.org/meetings/sm/ on the ICES VI website at ww2.amstat.org/meetings/ ices/2020/studentcontest.cfm. n

november 2019 amstat news 19 meetings

CSP 2020 Heading to West Coast in February

The Conference on Statistical Practice (CSP) will take place in Sacramento, California, February 20–22 and provide opportunities for attendees to further their career development and strengthen relationships in the statistical community.

20 amstat news november 2019 meetings

ith its focus on the application of statistics to solve real-world problems,W CSP brings together hundreds of statisticians, data analysts, researchers, and scientists each year. Sessions focus on the following four key themes, which are relevant to those working in the application of statistics and data science in their daily work: • Theme 1: Communication, Collaboration, and Career Development • Theme 2: Data Modeling and Analysis • Theme 3: Data Science and Big Data • Theme 4: Software, Programming, and Data Visualization This year’s CSP will again host a free virtual Career Service. This service provides a platform that connects attendees and statistical employers. If you are seeking to start or further your career in statistics or data science, post your profile and résu- mé, search positions, and contact employers of interest. Employers will arrange interviews directly. Learn more on the CSP website at ww2.amstat.org/meetings/ csp/2020/careerservice.cfm. The close-knit atmosphere of CSP is ideal for fostering a com- fortable learning and networking environment. The goal of the conference is to provide participants with opportunities to learn new statistical methodologies and best practices in statistical analysis, design, consulting, and statistical programming. Registration is open at ww2. amstat.org/csp. Questions may be sent to [email protected]. n

november 2019 amstat news 21 education

Drew Baughman, Committee on International Relations in Statistics chair; Vikash R. Satyal, 2019 Educational Ambassador from Nepal; Ron Wasserstein, ASA Executive Director; and Carlos A. Diaz-Tufinio, 2019 Educational Ambassador from Mexico meet during the ASA Board of Directors lunch at JSM 2019. 2019 Educational Ambassadors from Nepal, Mexico Attend JSM

he 2019 ASA Educational Ambassadors, in new areas of research. After attending CE cours- Vikash R. Satyal of Tribhuvan University in es in emerging areas of research, the educational Kathmandu, Nepal, and Carlos A. Diaz- ambassadors return to their respective countries and TTufinio of Tecnologico De Monterrey, Mexico City teach the subject matter covered in the CE course(s) in Mexico City, Mexico, attended the Joint within the next year to at least 10 students. Statistical Meetings in Denver, Colorado, to par- Satyal commented, “To be selected as EA and ticipate in continuing education courses. participate in the JSM 2019 was a turning point of The ASA board expanded funding for the pro- my life. Learning new technologies like data science, gram to select two ambassadors in 2019. categorical data analysis, and R at JSM will certainly The Educational Ambassador Program is an ASA enhance my teaching that I will be giving to my stu- outreach effort launched by the late Martha Aliaga dents at Tribhuvan University of Nepal. I appreciate and the Committee on International Relations in all who initiated such excellent knowledge bridging Statistics to foster international collaboration and idea and those who are managing the program until enhance statistics education worldwide. The pro- now. I additionally wish that EAs be given further gram subsidizes two ambassadors from developing refresher training/learning opportunities. As a pro- countries to attend JSM and take CE courses. It also fessor of statistics and chairman of Nepal Statistical provides a one-year ASA membership. Association, I wish a successful continuation of the Candidates are required to have a PhD in statis- EA program.” tics and an interest in teaching and be open to study

22 amstat news november 2019 education

While at JSM, Satyal and Diaz-Tufinio par- A fund in memory ticipated in several continuing education courses, of Martha Aliaga, including the following: former ASA director • Welcome to the Tidyverse: Reproducible Data of education Science with R who created • Categorical Data Analysis the Educational Ambassador • An Introduction to the Joint Modeling Program with of Longitudinal and Survival Data, with the Committee Applications in R on International • Bayesian Thinking: Fundamentals, Relations in Aliaga Computation, and Multilevel Modeling Statistics, helps • Statistical Network Analysis and Applications support this program. Martha was in Biology passionate about statistical education and international outreach. We remember • Analysis of Clinical Trials: Theory and Applications and honor her extensive contributions to enhance statistics education globally with • Design and Analysis of Experiments That this program. Read more about Martha, Incorporate Simulator Platforms her life, and her legacy at https://magazine. Drew Baughman, chair of the Committee on amstat.org/blog/2017/09/01/marthaaliaga. International Relations in Statistics, commented, “The ASA Educational Ambassador program has been a great success in growing the ASA community tistical practice in Mexico,” said Diaz-Tufinio. He of statisticians across the world and making links continued, “With the experiences acquired in the to further statistical capacity building in countries JSM, my upcoming plans as an ASA Educational outside of the US.” Ambassador in Mexico are to diffuse the statisti- Since the program launch in 2005, the cal knowledge not only to my undergrad statistics Committee on International Relations in Statistics students, but also I will work to update other pro- has chosen educational ambassadors from fessors in related fields. Even more, further plans Argentina, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Morocco, Armenia, are to impact outside academia, reaching industry Costa Rica, Botswana, Colombia, Bangladesh, and regulatory sectors as well, with specialized talks Nigeria, Namibia, Pakistan, Thailand, Nepal, and and lectures to executives and professionals related Mexico. These educational ambassadors have taught to statistics in the field of clinical trials. All this will the material learned in JSM short courses in numer- spread the word of ASA and will help the consoli- ous academic courses and workshops carried out in dation of the statistical advancement in my field their home countries. within my country.” “Attending to the JSM was a wonderful expe- The committee is seeking nominations for the rience; the interaction with other colleagues and 2020 Educational Ambassadors from Ukraine, statisticians around the globe in similar study fields Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kazakhstan, is enriching and stimulating from the scientific per- Turkmenistan, and/or Central African Republic. spective. Moreover, the sessions and CE short cours- More information is available at www.amstat.org/ASA/ es are really high leveled and they contributed with Education/Educational-Ambassador.aspx. n new and fresh ideas for my teaching labor and sta-

november 2019 amstat news 23 education

What’s Going On in This Graph? Enters Third Year

he ASA celebrates its third year of partnership with The New York Times Learning New WGOITG releases scheduled Network on the popular “What’s Going On for the 2019–2020 academic year Tin This Graph?” feature, a program that helps teach- include the following: ers lead class discussions about graphs appearing in The New York Times. • November 6, 13, and 20 The discussions engage students in grades 7–12 • December 4 and 11 in activities and questions designed to improve their understanding and critical interpretation of visual • January 8, 15, 22, and 29 displays of information in real life. • February 5, 12, and 26 • March 4, 11, 18, and 25 “One of the best features of • April 1 and 8 WGOITG is the “snappy headline” Visit the website at nyti.ms/2VOttzp to see question. My students are so driven more and participate in What’s Going On to get a shout-out in the @NYTimes!” in This Graph?

Mark Kingsbury • @mhkingsbury teachers. It is provided completely free of charge and Sept. 18, 2019 designed to be accessible to students ages 12 and up, regardless of their mathematical background. The Launched in the fall of 2017 as a monthly feature, content and activities are well suited for use in not “What’s Going On in This Graph” (WGOITG) only statistics and mathematics classrooms, but sci- expanded to providing weekly content last year. ence and humanities, as well. And the time require- Throughout the 2019–2020 academic year, ments are flexible, allowing for use as either at-home a new graph and related content will be released assignments or in-class discussions. every Thursday afternoon. Students and teachers Archived WGOITGs, indexed by topic and can participate in a live, online discussion about the graph type, are freely available online. Teachers can week’s WGOITG on Wednesdays between 9 a.m. also view a New York Times Learning Network webi- and 2 p.m. ET. Each week, the previous WGOITG nar—featuring Sharon Hessney and Dan Meyer will be updated with a “reveal” that shares answers from Desmos, as well as teachers and students—with to questions posed in the activities, highlights from pointers for using WGOITG in the classroom. the discussion, related statistical concepts, and To stay up to date and share the WGOITG con- helpful vocabulary. tent with your teacher, student, and parent networks, Sharon Hessney, WGOITG leader at the ASA, follow #NYTGraphChat on social media. n points out that WGOITG imparts many benefits to

24 amstat news november 2019 people news

Hal Stern Appointed UCI Vice Provost for Academic Planning

al S. Stern, longtime Formerly at Iowa State member of the ASA, University and Harvard has been appointed vice University, Stern’s research inter- Hprovost for academic planning at ests include Bayesian methods, the University of California, model assessment techniques, Irvine (UCI). causal inference, and collab- Since joining UCI as found- orative projects in the life sci- ing chair of the statistics depart- ences and social sciences. He ment in 2002, Stern has held a is co-director of the Center for range of academic and admin- Statistics and Applications in Stern istrative leadership roles. He Forensic Evidence, funded by the Mathematical Statistics. In served for eight years as chair of National Institute of Standards addition, he has served on sev- statistics, and then more than and Technology, and part of the eral expert committees for the six years as the Ted and Janice leadership team for the Conte National Academies of Sciences, Smith Family Foundation Dean Center at UCI, funded by the Engineering, and Medicine. of the Donald Bren School of National Institutes of Health. Read more about Stern and his Information and Computer Stern is a fellow of the new appointment on the UCW Sciences. He is currently a chan- American Association for website at www.stat.uci.edu/hal- cellor’s professor of statistics. the Advancement of Science, stern-appointed-vice-provost-for- the ASA, and the Institute of academic-planning. n

The Department of Statistics at Texas A&M University Invites Nominations for the TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY Emanuel & Carol Parzen Prize for Statistical Innovation Statistics

To promote the dissemination of statistical innovation, the Emanuel and Carol Parzen Prize for Statistical Innovation is awarded in even numbered years to a North American statistician whose outstanding research contributions include innovations that have had impact on practice and whose Ph.D. degree is at least 25 years old. The Parzen Prize is awarded by the Department of Statistics at Texas A&M University and is selected by the members of the Parzen Prize Committee (consisting of three internal faculty members and two external faculty members). The prize consists of an honorarium of $1000 and travel to College Station to present a lecture at the ceremony. Nominations for the 2020 Parzen Prize should include a letter describing the nominee’s outstanding contributions to high impact innovative research in statistics, a current curriculum vita, and two supporting letters. Nominations should be submitted by February 29, 2020 to the Chair of the 2020 Parzen Prize Committee: Professor Thomas Wehrly Department of Statistics Texas A&M University 3143 TAMU College Station, Texas 77843-3143. For more information on the Parzen Prize, please visit our website at www.stat.tamu.edu/events/parzenprize/ index.html.

november 2019 amstat news 25 people news

LEFT: Winners of the SPAIG Award: Ying Huang, Zoe Moodie, and Ming Zhu. Not pictured are Brenda Price, Carlos DiazGranados, Youyi Fong, Peter Gilbert, Michal Juraska, Edith Langevin, Tifany Machabert, Stephen Savarino, and Saranya Sridhar. RIGHT: Winners of the SPAIG Award: Benjamin Baumer, Andrea Foulkes, Nicholas Horton, and Ethan Meyers. Not pictured are Krista Gile, David Jensen, Andrew McCallum, Sears Merritt, Nick Reich, Gareth Ross, and Amy Wagaman. SPAIG Award Goes to Two Ying Ding, University of Pittsburgh; Willis Jensen, WL Gore and Associates; Julia Lee, Northwestern University; and Fanni Natanegara, Eli Lilly and Company

stablished in 2002, the Statistical methods to Sanofi Pasteur’s neutralizing antibody Partnerships Among Academe, Industry, assay data, provide viral sequence analysis, provide and Government (SPAIG) Award highlights “sieving analysis,” and generate methodology for outstandingE partnerships among academe, indus- meta-analysis for the dengue vaccine efficacy trials. try, and government organizations, as well as pro- Peter Gilbert from Fred Hutchinson said the motes new partnerships among these organizations. major benefits from the collaboration are it “facili- This award is distinct from other ASA awards in tated a more robust set of statistical analyses of criti- that it recognizes outstanding collaborations cal questions in dengue vaccination, helping solidify between organizations, while recognizing key indi- conclusions about safety and efficacy of Sanofi vidual contributors. Pasteur’s vaccine that were broadly discussed by Two SPAIG awards were presented during the advisory boards and regulatory bodies, and affected 2019 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) in Denver, global recommendations for appropriate use of the Colorado. Both winners have equally demonstrated licensed vaccine.” Gilbert continued, “The partner- impactful collaboration across two or more sectors. ship improved statistical methods development at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Fred Hutchinson and University of Washington Sanofi Pasteur began their partnership in 2013 PhD biostatistics students in training by ensuring when Sanofi Pasteur was testing a candidate vaccine all methodological decisions were grounded in the in randomized, placebo-controlled efficacy trials. An ongoing clinical and laboratory science and realities objective of these efficacy trials was to assess neu- of the clinical trials. The partnership also facilitated tralizing antibody markers as predictors of dengue technology transfer of statistical methods and R disease, surrogate endpoints for dengue disease, and packages to Sanofi Pasteur that may be useful for modifiers of vaccine efficacy against dengue disease, other vaccine trials.” accounting for the four dengue serotypes and genetic The most rewarding aspects of the collaboration diversity of dengue. according to Gilbert are “building trusting relation- Fred Hutchinson statistics group specializes in ships with mutual respect around the integrity of the statistical methods for this objective, so a partnership science and sticking with the collaboration through was launched to tackle the objective with a short- some intense periods and ups and downs.” term goal that Fred Hutch would provide statistical SPAIG’s mission is to promote initiatives that fos- consultation to Sanofi Pasteur on issues pertaining to ter statistical partnerships or collaborations. Gilbert’s design optimization for their randomized, placebo- advice to individuals and organizations looking to be controlled phase 3 trials of the CYD-TDV dengue more collaborative is to have a “handful of in-person vaccine and establish a framework for a correlate of meetings visiting each other’s institutions and giv- protection analysis to ensure Sanofi Pasteur devel- ing seminars and having broad discussion, as well oped an optimal blood sampling strategy for their as having social time to get to know each other.” He dengue vaccine efficacy trials. The long-term goal also added, “It helps to have a disposition of being was for Fred Hutch to provide and apply analytical open and flexible, with enough humility about

26 amstat news november 2019 people news one’s own preferred statistical approaches that mul- Fred Hutchinson Key Contributors tiple approaches can be applied, with their different assumptions and pros/cons described and discussed Yunda Huang (nominator), Fred Hutchinson Cancer in a non-defensive manner.” Research Center The second award went to Smith College, Mount Peter Gilbert, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Holyoke College, Amherst College, Hampshire College, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and Ming Zhu, Sanofi Pasteur MassMutual Financial Group. They represent a pub- Brenda Price, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center lic-private partnership that has promoted the rapid growth of the statistics and data science commu- Carlos DiazGranados, Sanofi Pasteur nity in Western Massachusetts in the last five years. Youyi Fong, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Highlights of their mutual beneficial partnership include the following: Ying Huang, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center • Ten-year, $15 million grant from the Michal Juraska, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center MassMutual Foundation to the UMass Center for Data Science that has been used to Edith Langevin, Sanofi Pasteur hire new faculty and launch a new graduate Tifany Machabert, Sanofi Pasteur concentration in data science Zoe Moodie, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center • Four-year, $2 million women in data science grant from MassMutual to Mt. Holyoke and Stephen Savarino, Sanofi Pasteur Smith colleges used to hire new temporary Saranya Sridhar, Sanofi Pasteur faculty and launch majors in statistics and data science Smith College Key Contributors • MassMutual Data Science Development Program (DSDP), an innovative three-year Benjamin Baumer (nominator), Smith College work-study training program that recruits Andrea Foulkes, Mount Holyoke College recent Five College graduates, hires them as junior data scientists, and enrolls them in Amy Wagaman, Amherst College graduate programs at UMass Ethan Meyers, Hampshire College • Sponsorship of the ASA Five College Nicholas Reich, University of Massachusetts-Amherst DataFest, which is one of the largest in the country, by MassMutual Krista Gile, University of Massachusetts-Amherst Brant Cheikes, University of Massachusetts-Amherst This collaboration began when Andrew Bray (then a Five College post-doc) approached Gareth Gareth Ross, MassMutual Financial Group Ross of MassMutual seeking sponsorship of the Sears Merritt, MassMutual Financial Group inaugural Five College DataFest. Ross and Merritt Sears of MassMutual launched the Data Science Development Program in the summer of 2014 based on a proposal written by Bray and Ben Baumer. The first cohort included seven recent undergraduates Mount Holyoke by MassMutual have been hugely from the Five Colleges. important to helping both schools develop majors in Sears noted that “seeing both organizations grow (statistics and) data science.” Baumer also noted that their data science capabilities in such meaningful “Smith has sent several of our graduates through the and impactful ways has been a tremendously reward- MassMutual Data Science Development Program, ing experience.” The major benefits that have come and it has been very gratifying to see their success in from this collaboration are “the creation of a strong that competitive industry while they are simultane- talent pipeline and development program curricu- ously pursuing a graduate degree.” lum taught by academic experts,” according to Sears. For more information about the SPAIG com- For those seeking collaborations, Sears also noted “it mittee and award, visit the SPAIG website at www. is important to identify shared goals and collaborate amstat.org/ASA/Your-Career/Awards/Statistical- with a partner that can help achieve those goals, using Partnerships-Among-Academe-Industry-and- skills and capabilities that are additive to your own.” Government-Award.aspx. n Baumer, of Smith College, said, “The funding of visiting assistant professor positions at Smith and

november 2019 amstat news 27 awards & deadlines

Nominations Sought for Breiman Award Student Paper Competitions The Breiman Award Committee of the Statistical The winners of student paper competitions earn Learning and Data Science Section, chaired by travel awards to ASA-sponsored conferences. The David Madigan, invites nominations for the following general policies and procedures apply to senior and junior awards in honor of Leo Breiman all ASA section competitions (see individual sec- (1928–2005). tions for further instructions): Breiman’s work helped bridge the gap between • Sections must receive all materials by statistics and computer science, particularly in the December 15. Some sections have earlier field of machine learning. His most important con- deadlines, so check each section’s website tributions were his work on classification and regres- for dates. sion trees, ensemble estimators, and random forests. The Breiman Award Committee selects the • Winners will be notified by January 15. Breiman senior scholar and junior scholar based • JSM best paper competition winners must on outstanding theoretical or methodological con- submit abstracts and register for JSM tributions to machine learning and/or computa- through the official JSM abstract submission tional statistics—contributions that have made a system by the deadline. substantial, sustained impact on the subject and on practical applications. Nominations are accepted in • Students may submit papers to no more odd-numbered years. than two sections and may accept only one The award includes a monetary prize, a plaque, section’s award. Students must inform both and an invited lecture at JSM two years later. sections applied to when he or she wins and accepts an award, thereby removing them- The Breiman junior scholar must have earned a selves from the award competition for the doctoral degree no earlier than 2007 and been an second section. SLDS section member for at least two years as of December 15, 2019. • Students planning to participate in section Nominations are due by December 15, 2019. A competitions must adhere to the eligibility, nomination packet—including a nominating let- paper format, submission process, and other ter, up to three supporting letters (the nominator requirements of the sections to which they may write one of the supporting letters), and cur- are applying. riculum vitae of the nominee—should be sent to Visit the ASA website for a list of sections offer- Madigan at [email protected]. n ing the awards and detailed instructions and deadlines: www.amstat.org/ASA/Your-Career/Student- Paper-Competitions.aspx. n

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28 amstat news november 2019 Deadlines and Contact Information for Select ASA National Awards, Special Lectureships, and COPSS Awards Program Deadline Nominations Questions Donna LaLonde John J. Bartko Scholarship Award December 2, 2019 [email protected] [email protected] Breiman Award December 15, 2019 David Madigan, [email protected] COPSS Fisher Award and Lectureship, Elizabeth L. December 15, 2019 community.amstat.org/copss/home Scott Award, and Presidents’ Award Gottfried E. Noether Awards January 15, 2020 [email protected] Joseph E. Cavanaugh Karl E. Peace Award February 1, 2020 [email protected] [email protected] W. J. Dixon Award for Excellence in Statistical February 15, 2020 [email protected] Consulting Harry V. Roberts Statistical Advocate of the Year February 15, 2019 [email protected] Award Waller Awards February 15, 2020 [email protected] Samuel S. Wilks Memorial Award February 15, 2020 [email protected] W. J. Youden Award in Interlaboratory Testing February 15, 2020 [email protected] Statistics in Physical Engineering Sciences Award February 20, 2020 Ming Li, [email protected] Gertrude M. Cox Scholarship February 23, 2020 [email protected] Edward C. Bryant Scholarship Trust Fund March 1, 2020 [email protected] Causality in Statistics Education Award March 1, 2020 [email protected] Excellence in Statistical Reporting Award March 1, 2020 [email protected] ASA Fellows March 1, 2020 [email protected] Wendy Martinez ASA Mentoring Award March 1, 2020 [email protected] [email protected] Outstanding Statistical Application Award March 1, 2020 [email protected] Statistical Partnerships Among Academe, Industry, Pamela D. McGovern March 1, 2020 [email protected] and Government (SPAIG) Award [email protected] Biopharmaceutical Section Scholarship Award March 15, 2020 community.amstat.org/biop/awards/scholarship Wendy Martinez Founders Award March 15, 2020 [email protected] [email protected] Government Statistics Section Wray Jackson Smith Kevin Konty April 1, 2020 [email protected] Scholarship [email protected] Barry W. Johnson Links Lecture Award May 1, 2020 [email protected] [email protected] Health Policy Statistics Section September 15, 2020 [email protected] Achievement Awards Lester R. Curtin Award October 15, 2020 [email protected] Deming Lecturer Award October 15, 2020 [email protected] Lingzi Lu Memorial Award October 15, 2020 [email protected] Monroe. G. Sirken Award in Interdisciplinary Survey Aaron Maitland December 15, 2020 [email protected] Methods Research [email protected]

november 2019 amstat news 29 section • chapter • committee news

sectionnews Biometrics • Be a current member of the summarizes the paper’s con- Do you know an early-stage inves- Biometrics Section (appli- tent and contribution tigator who is planning to submit cant may join at the time of submission for a $5 annual • One PDF copy of the paper an abstract for the 2020 Joint membership fee [$3 for The paper must be a maximum Statistical Meetings (JSM)? If so, students]). Note that mem- of 25 double-spaced pages (with alert them to the ASA Biometrics bership in the ASA does not maximum of 25 lines per page), Section’s 2020 JSM early-stage automatically confer section including references but not investigator awards. membership; ASA members including tables and figures. We will consider papers must join individual sec- Papers not within these restric- from two categories: Biometric tions in addition to their tions will not be considered. Methodology and Biometric generic membership. All materials must be submit- Practice. Papers in methodology ted electronically on or before should propose novel statistical • Be first author of the December 1, 2019. Questions methodology addressing a prob- paper. The paper may be should be sent to the 2020 Byar lem relevant to the biological sci- unsubmitted, submitted, Award Chair Sheng Luo at sheng. ences. Applications in Biometric or under review, but may [email protected]. Practice should demonstrate not have already appeared The 2020 Awards innovative applications of an in a journal either online or in print at the time of the Committee is composed of the existing method in a novel con- application or have been 2020 current and past section text, reexamine statistical prac- accepted for publication as chairs and chair-elect, as well tices from a new perspective, or of December 5, 2019. as additional individuals to be propose innovative and practical appointed by the section chairs data analysis strategies. • Be scheduled to present prior to the competition. Travel awards in the amount the same paper submitted For the 2020 competition, of $1,000 will be awarded to the for the award at the 2020 the Byar Award and travel award most outstanding papers in each Joint Statistical Meetings in winners will be announced by category to help cover confer- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 15, 2020. Winners ence expenses. as either a talk or poster. should contact the 2020 Section The best overall paper will be • Have submitted the paper JSM Program Chair Samrachana awarded the David P. Byar Young to no more than one other Adhikari (samrachana.adhikari@ Investigator Award. The award ASA section 2020 student nyulangone.org) and submit a commemorates the late David or early-stage investigator topic-contributed abstract for Byar, a biostatistician who made award competition. In the JSM 2020. significant contributions to the event of a paper winning More information about this development and application two competitions, the award is available on the section of statistical methods and was author is permitted to accept website at https://community. esteemed as an exceptional mentor only one of the two awards. amstat.org/biometricsbiom. during his career at the National • Have not been a previous Cancer Institute. The winner of Byar Award or Biometrics Strategic Initiatives Grant the Byar award will receive $2,000. Section travel award winner. The ASA Biometrics Section All applicants for the early- provides funding to support Applicants must submit their stage investigator awards must projects developing innovative JSM abstracts to the Biometrics meet all of the following criteria: outreach projects focused on Section, which will organize a • Have held a doctorate in enhancing awareness of bio- series of topic-contributed sessions statistics, biostatistics, or a statistics among quantitatively to highlight the awards winners. related quantitative field for talented US students. We par- Applicants must also complete three or fewer years as of ticularly are interested in proj- their application by submitting April 1 of the current year ects that encourage students to the following materials: or be currently enrolled as a pursue advanced training in bio- student in a program in sta- • A current CV statistics. The project timeline tistics or biostatistics and in is typically 1.5–2 years, and the active pursuit of a degree. • A one-page cover letter that

30 amstat news november 2019 section • chapter • committee news

Biometrics Section provides sup- 2. A double-spaced manu- port up to $3,000. Award recipi- script in two versions: a ents must be ASA members and regular manuscript with Biometrics Section members author information and a before project initiation. blinded manuscript without The Strategic Initiatives author information or other ss /s identifying information jw Subcommittee chair is Tanya /a 42 (such as references). Both 02 Garcia. Milan Bimali is co-chair. C- -W versions should include an 20 Details about applying can be found at https://commu- abstract. nity.amstat.org/biometricsbiom/ 3. A reference letter from a fac- Learn jsm2019. ulty member familiar with Feel free to fill out either for- the submitted work stating mat. The application should be the status of the applicant to solve submitted electronically to Garcia and the publication status at [email protected]. n of the manuscript. problems Statistics in Defense and Entries should be sent to Nicholas Clark, chair of the National Security paper award committee, at nich- with data The Section for Statistics in [email protected]. The Defense and National Security email should include the two (SDNS) is soliciting entries versions of the completed manu- Master the techniques for its student researcher paper script as attachments in PDF needed to make data-driven competition for the 2020 Joint format. All entries must arrive by Statistical Meetings. decisions by earning a December, 15, 2019. Include the Each year, the section offers words “Best Paper Award” in the Master of Applied Statistics the winning author a certificate subject line of the email. online through Penn State and travel award of $1,000 to Manuscripts will be judged defray the cost of attending JSM on relevance and interest of the World Campus. and presenting their work in a subject matter, quality of writing, session sponsored by SDNS. and, of course, the quality of the A deep understanding of data This competition is open research, itself. Winners will be to all undergraduate students, n analysis can help advance announced by January 15, 2020. graduate students, and research- your career in almost any field. ers who are, at most, two years Survey Research Methods beyond their terminal degree. The Survey Research Methods worldcampus.psu.edu/amstat The author must be a member Section (SRMS) offers poster of SDNS or join the section at the awards for the most outstanding time of submission. poster or speed session presenta- The contribution may be a tions. This year, the following six theoretical development or cover winners were selected: any of the numerous applications • Allshine Chen (University related to defense or national secu- of Oklahoma Health rity. Papers that have been accept- Sciences Center), “Statistical ed for publication in a journal are Disclosure Control with not eligible for the competition. Machine Learning” Entrants should submit the following: • Rachel Harter (RTI A world of possibilities. Online. International), “A Practical 1. A list of authors and contact Guide to Small Area information (the contestant A world of possibilities. Online. Estimation, Illustrated must be the first author). Using the Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey”

november 2019 amstat news 31 section • chapter • committee news

• Christian Léger (Université potential speakers. Once you have is required to be present at JSM de Montréal), “A Smooth a sufficient number of commit- 2020. The winner(s) must submit Pseudo-Population ted speakers, you can submit your an abstract on the topic of their Bootstrap Approach in proposal online from November winning paper and register for Survey Sampling with 12 to December 10. JSM before the deadline through Applications to Quantile the official JSM abstract submis- Estimators” Student Travel Awards sion system (ww2.amstat.org/ SRMS is sponsoring student travel • Jerry Maples (US Census meetings/jsm/2020/submissions. awards for JSM 2020. The appli- Bureau), “Small Area cfm). The award(s) will also be cation deadline is December 16. Estimates of the Child announced at the Mental Health Population and Poverty Download the application at www. Statistics Section mixer at JSM in School Districts Using asasrms.org/travelapp_2020.pdf. 2020, so winners should be in Dirichlet-Multinomial Along with the Government attendance for that. Models” Statistics and Social Statistics sec- Applications must include the tions, SRMS also co-sponsors following: • David McGrath (US student paper awards. Winners • A cover letter with name, Department of Defense), will present their paper in a spe- current affiliation, and status “Effect of Monetary cial JSM session. The deadline to Incentives on Response (including actual or intended apply is December 21. For details, date of graduation), and Rates and Data Quality in a visit the SRMS homepage at Survey of the US Military” contact information (i.e., https://community.amstat.org/ address, telephone, email) of • David Popko (Bureau of surveyresearchmethodssection/ the applicant Labor Statistics), “Does home. n Location Matter? A Case • The paper submitted for Study of the Influence of the competition, including Geography in Measurement Mental Health Statistics an abstract of up to 1,200 of Gasoline Prices” The Mental Health Statistics characters Section is sponsoring a student • A letter from the adviser Last Call for JSM 2020 paper competition. Winners certifying student status (or Topic-Contributed will receive $1,000 toward completion of degree within Session Proposals the cost of travel to the Joint the past year) Statistical Meetings. JSM 2020 topic-contribut- Applications must be submitted Papers entered into this stu- ed session proposals are due by email as one combined docu- dent paper competition should December 10. ment (PDF files preferred). You involve a methodological inno- Topic-contributed sessions should submit the single docu- vation or novel application of include papers (five total speak- ment with the three application statistical methods to a mental ers with 20 minutes each, with at parts in the following order: health issue. Current under- least three presenters and no more cover letter, adviser letter, and graduate or graduate students at than two discussants), panels (3–6 paper. For further information or any level, as well as those who panelists providing commentary to apply, contact Adam Ciarleglio graduated in 2019 and wish to about a topic), or posters (10–15 at [email protected]. All submit research they conducted participants with posters address- materials must be received by as students, are eligible to par- ing a common topic). December 15 at 5 p.m. EST. ticipate. Participants do not have A topic-contributed session Winners will be notified by to be a member of the ASA or proposal includes a session title, January 15, 2020. n general description of the session, Mental Health Statistics Section. list of participants, and tentative Up to two cash prizes of talk titles. $1,000 each will be awarded If you are interested in organiz- to the highest-rated paper(s). ing a topic-contributed session, The award will help cover JSM select a session topic and solicit 2020 expenses, so the winner(s)

32 amstat news november 2019 section • chapter • committee news

GSS Honors Data Expo

2019 Winners Jacob Gerszten of the University of Virginia won third place in the educational category. He is here with ASA President-elect Wendy Martinez. he Government Statistics Section (GSS), Statistical Computing Section, and Statistical Graphics Section jointly hosted Tthe annual Data Challenge Expo at the Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) in Denver, Colorado. The data set for the 2019 challenge was the New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey (NYCHVS), a representative survey of the New York City housing stock and population sponsored by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the longest-running housing survey in the country. Results of the analysis were presented in a speed poster format. The following winners were honored at the three section business meetings during JSM: Education Category First place: Xiang Shen, The George Washington University Second place: Ben Schweitzer, Miami University Third place (tie): Alison Tuiyott, Miami University Third place (tie): Jacob Gerszten and Damian Ed Mulrow won in the professional category. He is here with ASA President- Chambon, University of Virginia elect Wendy Martinez. Professional Category Quentin Brummet, NORC Ed Mulrow, NORC n

november 2019 amstat news 33 calendar of events

The following events are the latest additions to the ASA’s online calendar of events. Announce- ments are accepted from education and not-for- profit organizations only. To view the complete list of statistics meetings and workshops, visit www. 21–23—MSAST 2019, amstat.org/dateline. 2019 Kolkata, India For details, visit imbicorg.blogspot. * Indicates events sponsored by the ASA or one of com or contact Avishek Adhikari, its sections, chapters, or committees December AH 317, Sector II, Kolkata, International 700091, India; msast. ›› Indicates events posted since the previous issue *2–6—75th Annual Deming [email protected]. Conference on Applied Statistics, Atlantic City, New 26–30—International Indian Jersey Statistical Association 2019 For details, visit demingconference. Conference, Mumbai, India org or contact Din Chen, 325 For more information, visit Pittsboro St., Chapel Hill, NC 27599; iisa2019.iisaconference.org or con- (919) 843-2434; dinchen@email. tact Veera Baladandayuthapani, unc.edu. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109; (734) 764-5702; [email protected]. 12–15—11th International Conference on Multiple Comparison Procedures, 27–29—2nd International Taipei, Taiwan Conference on Applied For more information, visit www. Statistics (ICAS) 2019, Dhaka, mcp-conference.org or contact Bangladesh Jason Hsu, 1 Health Plaza, East For details, visit www.isrt.ac.bd/ Hanover, NJ 07936; mcp2019@ icas2019 or contact Shafiqur mcp-conference.org. Rahaman, Institute of Statistical Research and Training, Dhaka, International 1000, Bangladesh; [email protected].

34 amstat news november 2019 calendar of events

2020 January May

*6–8—2020 International »5–7—SIAM Conference on Conference on Health Policy Mathematics of Data Science Statistics (ICHPS), San Diego, (MDS20), Cincinnati, Ohio California For more information, contact For more information, visit ww2. Adrianne Ali, 3600 Market St., amstat.org/meetings/ichps/2020 or Philadelphia, PA 19104; (215) 382- contact ASA Meetings, 732 North 9800; [email protected]. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314; (703) 684-1221; meetings@ amstat.org. June

»*3–6—2020 Symposium March on Data Science & Statistics, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania »24–27—SIAM Conference on For more information, visit ww2. Uncertainty Quantification amstat.org/meetings/sdss/2020 (UQ20), Garching, Germany or contact ASA Meetings, 732 N. For details, visit siam-uq20.ma.tum. Washington St., Alexandria, VA de or contact Jade Daniels, 3600 22314; (703) 684-1221; meetings@ Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104; amstat.org. (215) 382-9800; [email protected].

november 2019 amstat news 35 calendar of events

21–23—The Fifth Workshop on Higher-Order Asymptotics and Post-Selection Inference (WHOA-PSI), St. Louis, Missouri For details, visit www.math.wustl. edu/~kuffner/events.html or contact Todd Kuffner, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1146, Saint Louis, MO 63130; [email protected].

»22–26—International Statistical Ecology Conference (ISEC2020), Sydney, Australia For more information, visit isec2020. org or contact David Warton, School of Mathematics and Statistics, UNSW Sydney, International 2052, Australia; +61405781724; isec2020@ unsw.edu.au.

24–27—5th International Workshop on Functional and Operatorial Statistics (IWFOS 2020), Brno, Czech Republic For details, visit iwfos2020.sci.muni. cz or contact David Kraus, Kotlárská 2, Brno, International 611 37, Czech Republic; [email protected].

36 amstat news november 2019 calendar of events

25–27—Open Problems in Parametric Likelihood-Based Inference, St. Louis, Missouri For details, visit www.math.wustl. edu/~kuffner/events.html or contact Todd Kuffner, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1146, Saint Louis, MO 63130; [email protected].

July

5–10—International Biometric Conference (IBC), Seoul, South Korea For information, visit www. biometricsociety.org/2018/07/ ibc-2020-seoul-preview or contact Kristina Wolford, 1120 20th St. NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20036; [email protected].

6–10—International Conference on Robust Statistics (ICORS 2020), Vienna, Austria For details, contact Peter Filzmoser, Wiedner Hauptstr. 8-10, Vienna, International 1040, Austria; 43-1- 58801-10560; P.Filzmoser@ tuwien.ac.at.

August

*1–6—2020 Joint Statistical Meetings, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania For more information, contact ASA Meetings, 732 North Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314; [email protected].

november 2019 amstat news 37 calendar of events

ASA SECTIONS STUENT PAPER COMPETITION The winners of best paper competitions earn travel awards to ASA-sponsored conferences

Special instructions for each section are available on the ASA website. www.amstat.org//our-areer/- tudent-aper-ompetitions.asp

38 amstat news november 2019 calendar of events

»6–8—26th ISSAT International Conference on Reliability and Quality in Design, Miami, Florida For more information, visit www. issatconferences.org/rqd2020.html or contact Conference Secretary, PO Box 281, Edison, NJ 08818; rqd@ issatconferences.org.

December

»15–17—28th International Workshop on Matrices and Statistics (IWMS 2020), MAHE, Manipal, India For details, visit carams.in/events/ international-workshop-on-matrices- and-statistics or contact Manjunatha Prasad Karantha, VI Floor, Health Science Library Building, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, International 576104, India; +91 9980100886; kmprasad63@ gmail.com.

»17–19—International Conference on Linear Algebra and Its Applications (ICLAA 2020), MAHE, Manipal, India For more information, visit carams. in/events/iclaa2020 or contact Manjunatha Prasad Karantha, VI Floor, Health Science Library Building, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, International 576104, India; +919980100886; kmprasad63@ gmail.com. n

november 2019 amstat news 39 professional opportunities

Professional Opportunity listings may not exceed 65 words, plus equal opportunity information. The deadline for their receipt is the 20th of the month two months prior to when the ad is to be published (e.g., May 20 for the July issue). Ads will be published in the next available issue following receipt. Listings are shown alphabetically by state, followed by international listings. Vacancy listings may include the institutional name and address or be identified by number, is an equal opportunity institution as desired. dedicated to building a broadly diverse Professional Opportunities vacancies also will be published on the ASA’s website and inclusive faculty and staff. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work (www.amstat.org). Vacancy listings will appear on the website for the entire calendar in the US. Searches are conducted in month. Ads may not be placed for publication in the magazine only; all ads will be accordance with Florida’s Sunshine Law. published both electronically and in print. These listings and additional information about the 65-word ads can be found at n The Department of Statistics at ww2.amstat.org/ads. Florida State University invites applications for assistant professor in Employers are expected to acknowledge all responses resulting from publication of Biostatistics. A PhD in statistics, bio- their ads. Personnel advertising is accepted with the understanding that the adver- statistics, or a related field is required. tiser does not discriminate among applicants on the basis of race, sex, religion, age, Please apply at http//jobs.fsu.edu (Job color, national origin, handicap, or sexual orientation. ID 46278). The deadline is January 20, Also, look for job ads on the ASA website at https://jobs.amstat.org/jobseekers. 2020. FSU is an Equal Opportunity/ Access/Affirmative Action/Pro Disabled & Veteran Employer. FSU’s Equal Opportunity Statement can be viewed at www.hr.fsu.edu/PDF/Publications/ District of Columbia Florida diversity/EEO_Statement.pdf. n The Department of Statistics at n The Department of Statistics at The George Washington University Florida State University invites applica- (GWU) Foggy Bottom campus invites tions for assistant professor in statistics. applications for a tenure-track assistant A PhD in statistics, biostatistics, or a Indiana professor position to begin as early related field is required. Please apply at n Purdue University, Department as fall 2020, pending final budgetary http//jobs.fsu.edu (Job ID 46279). The of Statistics invites applications for approval. All areas of statistics will be deadline is January 20, 2020. FSU is an multiple faculty positions beginning considered. The department’s location Equal Opportunity/Access/Affirmative August 2020 at the rank of assistant in the nation’s capital offers unique Action/Pro Disabled & Veteran professor or associate professor, with cultural and professional opportuni- Employer. FSU’s Equal Opportunity possible rank of full professor for qualities. For more details and the complete Statement can be viewed at www.hr.fsu. fied candidates. Please visit www.stat. application information, please visit edu/PDF/Publications/diversity/EEO_ purdue.edu/hiring to apply. Review of www.gwu.jobs and statistics.columbian. Statement.pdf. applications will begin November 15, gwu.edu. The university is an Equal 2019, continuing until positions are Employment Opportunity/Affirmative filled. Purdue University is an Equal Action employer that does not unlaw- Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative n fully discriminate in any of its programs University of Florida is recruiting up Action employer fully committed to or activities on the basis of race, color, to three tenure-track assistant, associate achieving a diverse workforce. religion, sex, national origin, age, dis- or full professor level positions within ability, veteran status, sexual orienta- the Department of Biostatistics, admin- tion, gender identity or expression, or istered by College of Medicine and on any other basis prohibited by appli- College of Public Health and Health Iowa cable law. The university and depart- Professions. Qualifications include: n The University of Iowa is seeking ment have a strong commitment to a doctoral degree in biostatistics or an assistant professor of data science achieving diversity among faculty and related quantitative discipline and dem- to begin August 19, 2020. Applicants staff. We are particularly interested in onstrated excellence in research, teach- must have PhD in statistics or related receiving applications from members of ing and service. Application review area by start date. See the complete underrepresented groups and strongly will begin immediately. Please apply description at https//jobs.uiowa.edu/ encourage women and persons of color Job No. 51907 at https//apply.interfolio. faculty/view/73767 and apply by to apply for this position. com/67683. The University of Florida

40 amstat news november 2019 November 15. EOE/AA. Check out our Massachusetts apply, including those with expertise in department at https//stat.uiowa.edu. EOE/ n Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public data science and related disciplines. The AA. Health. Assistant/associate professor of position involves excellence in scholar- biostatistics and assistant/associate pro- ship and graduate-level teaching. Boston

fessor of epidemiology. Please apply to University is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive community. Please Maine http//academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/9218. For questions, please contact apply by November 30, 2019, at https// n Husson University invites applications Megan Marchese, Search Administrator, academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/14719. for a full-time, ranked faculty position in Department of Epidemiology, Harvard EOE. applied statistics or data analytics - level T.H. Chan School of Public Health. of assistant professor to begin in fall 2020. Email [email protected]. EOE. Appointment at higher rank will considered for qualified candidates. Teaching Minnesota responsibilities include 12 credit hours n The Division of Biostatistics, School of per semester of statistics and research n The Department of Biostatistics at Public Health, University of Minnesota design courses at the general educa- Boston University invites applications seeks applicants for a non-tenure track tion level, data analytics courses, as well for an assistant professor or open-rank (contract) faculty position at the rank of as upper-level statistics courses. www. level position beginning fall 2020. Assistant Professor, who will be part of Click2Apply.net/5j7rs55ptrv8bd4v. EOE. Outstanding applicants are encouraged to an inter-departmental Childhood Cancer

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY FACULTY POSITION TENURETRACK STARTING FALL 2020

e Department of Statistics invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position to begin July 1, 2020. A Ph.D. in statistics or a related eld is required. Candidates will be expected to sustain an active research and publication agenda and to teach in the departmental undergraduate and graduate programs. e eld of research is open to any area of statistics and probability.

e Department currently consists of 35 faculty members, 59 PhD students, and over 300 MA students. e Department has been expanding rapidly and, like the University itself, is an extraordinarily vibrant academic community. We are especially interested in candidates who through their research, teaching and/or service will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. For further information about the Department and our programs, please go to our webpage at: http://www.stat.columbia.edu

All applications must be submitted through Columbia’s online Recruitment of Academic Personnel System (RAPS) at: http://pa334.peopleadmin.com/postings/4156

e application must include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of teaching philosophy, research statement and the names of 3 references. References will be asked to upload letters of recommendation in RAPS.

Inquiries may be made to [email protected]

Review of applications begins on November 29, 2019, and will continue until the position is lled. Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity/A rmative Action employer.

november 2019 amstat news 41 Eleanor and Howard Morgan Professorship School of Operations Research and Information Engineering Genomics Group focused on pediatric n The Division of Biostatistics, School of The School of Operations Research and cancer research. Applicants should have Public Health, University of Minnesota Information Engineering at Cornell University an interest in statistical genetics or bioin- seeks applicants for a non-tenure track invites exceptional applicants for the Eleanor and Howard Morgan Professorship. The School formatics and interdisciplinary collabora- (contract) faculty position at the rank of of ORIE seeks visionary candidates who will tive research. Please visit https//hr.myu. assistant or associate professor, who will drive new research thrusts, catalyze growth in umn.edu/jobs/ext/333098 for additional be a member of the Biostatistics Core of existing areas, and help lead efforts to realize the School’s vision of a world in which operation information or to apply. EOE. the Masonic Cancer Center and collabo- research and analytics are fundamental to rate on cancer-related projects with inves- improved decision-making that helps address tigators in the basic, clinical, and popula- some of society’s most pressing problems. tion sciences. Please visit https//hr.myu. Cornell ORIE is a diverse group of high-quality n The Division of Biostatistics, School of researchers and educators interested in probabil- umn.edu/jobs/ext/333104 for additional ity, optimization, statistics, machine learning, Public Health, University of Minnesota information or to apply. EOE. simulation, and a wide array of applications in- seeks applicants for a tenure-track assis- cluding, but not limited to, e-commerce, supply chains, scheduling, manufacturing, transportation tant professor faculty position. We are and mobility, health care, financial engineering, especially interested in individuals with service systems and network science. We value mathematical and technical depth and innovation, research interests in causal inference, Nebraska and experience with applications and practice. dynamic treatment regimes, biomarker n Ideal candidates will have correspondingly broad The Department of Biostatistics, training and interests. The School of Operations evaluation, risk prediction, longitudinal College of Public Health at the University Research and Information Engineering spans both and multilevel data, and the design and of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), the traditional Cornell campus in Ithaca and the monitoring of clinical trials, includ- new presence at Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island seeks outstanding faculty candidates in New York City. This position is for the Cornell ing those for adaptive interventions. for an assistant or associate profes- Ithaca campus, but the potential for connection with the Cornell Tech campus and its associated Please visit https//hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ sor for a tenure-leading position; rank ext/333095 for additional information or mission of external engagement is desirable. commensurate with qualifications. For Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, to apply. EOE. statement of research and leadership vision, and complete contact information for at least three references. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Submit applications online at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/ jobs/14253. Questions may be addressed by email to David Shmoys, Chair, Eleanor and Howard Morgan Chair Search Committee at [email protected]. ORIE and the College of Engineering at Cornell embrace diversity and seek candidates The Department of Statistics at the George Washington University Foggy Bottom campus invites appli- who can contribute to a welcoming climate for students, staff and faculty of all races and cations for a tenure-track assistant professor position to begin as early as Fall 2020, pending fi nal bud- genders. Cornell University seeks to meet the getary approval. All areas of statistics will be considered. The selected candidate is expected to maintain needs of dual career couples, has a Dual Career a strong research program and teach undergraduate and graduate statistics courses. program, and is a member of the Upstate New York Higher Education Recruitment Basic Qualifi cations: Applicants must possess a Ph.D. or Doctorate in statistics, biostatistics or a close- Consortium to assist with dual career searches. Visit www.unyherc.org/home to see positions ly related fi eld. ABD candidates will be considered, but must complete all Ph.D. or Doctoral degree available in higher education in the upstate New requirements by the date of appointment. Applicants must have strong training in probability and statis- York area. tics, and demonstrated interest in developing statistical methods for applications. Applicants must have Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League demonstrated teaching excellence indicated by research presentations and teaching assessments, and university and a great place to work. Our inclu- commitment to research as evidenced by publication in scholarly journals and works in progress. sive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose Application Information: To apply, please complete an online application at http://www.gwu.jobs/ and contribute creative ideas to further the postings/70806 and upload a cover letter, curriculum vitae, graduate transcripts, research and teaching university’s mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. With our main campus located statements, sample research publications or works in progress, and arrange to send three letters of recom- in Ithaca, NY Cornell’s far-flung global pres- mendation to Search Committee, Department of Statistics, Phillips Hall, George Washington University, ence includes the medical college’s campuses Washington, DC 20052, USA or to [email protected] by email. Review of applications will begin on in Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, as well as the January 2, 2020 and will continue until the position is fi lled. Only complete applications will be consid- new Cornell Tech campus located on Roosevelt ered. Employment offers are contingent on the satisfactory outcome of a standard background screening. Island in the heart of New York City.

The George Washington University is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Afﬁ rmative Action employer that does not unlawfully discriminate in any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law. The university and department have a strong Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell commitment to achieving diversity among faculty and staff. We are particularly interested in receiving University’s heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, Protected applications from members of underrepresented groups and strongly encourage women and persons of Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities. We color to apply for this position. strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities to apply.

42 amstat news november 2019

a full job description and application Pennsylvania Texas requirements, go to http//unmc.peoplead- n The Wharton Statistics Department, n The Department of Mathematical min.com/postings/47669. UNMC is an University of Pennsylvania, has a full- Sciences at The University of Texas at El Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action time, tenure-track Assistant Professor Paso (UTEP) seeks a data scientist w/ Employer. Individuals from diverse back- position, beginning July 2020. Applicants expertise in statistical modeling for big grounds are encouraged to apply. must show outstanding research and data and/or high performance data ana- teaching skills. Candidates must have a lytics, for tenure-track assistant professor PhD or equivalent (expected comple- position. Successful candidates will devel- tion by June 30, 2021, is acceptable) op productive research programs, mentor n The Department of Mathematics at the from an accredited institution. Please and teach undergraduate, graduate and University of Nebraska - Omaha (UNO) apply at https//statistics.wharton.upenn. doctoral students. Experience in applied invites applications for a full-time tenure- edu/recruiting/facultypositions. Submitting interdisciplinary research is welcome. To track assistant-professor position in statis- all required documents by December view the full ad and apply: www.utep.edu/ tics and data science beginning in August 1 is encouraged for full consideration. employment. EOE. 2020. Applicants are expected to have a Forward questions to statistics.recruit@ PhD in statistics or a closely related field wharton.upenn.edu. The University of by August 15, 2020. Submit applications Pennsylvania is an EOE. Minorities / n The Department of Mathematics and online at https//unomaha.peopleadmin.com/ Women / Individuals with disabilities / the Department of Biological Sciences user/new. EOE/AA Protected Veterans are encouraged to apply. at the University of North Texas invite

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS Columbia University Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow in Statistics Positions Starting Fall 2020

e Department of Statistics invites applications for Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships in Statistics. ese fellowships seek to bring exceptional scientists of outstanding potential to Columbia University. ese two-year fellowships, with no teaching obligations, are to begin between July and September 2020. e Fel- lows will hold the rank of postdoctoral research scientist in the Department of Statistics. A competitive annual salary will be supplemented with generous funding for conference travel and research support. Applications in all areas of statistics and probability will be considered: the primary selection criterion will be the candidates’ exceptional promise to produce high quality and visible research. Candidates must have a PhD in statistics or related eld by the date of appointment. Fellows will be expected to pursue a vigorous research agenda and to participate actively in the intellectual life of the Department. e Department currently consists of 35 faculty members and 59 PhD students. e department has been expanding rapidly and, like the University itself, is an extraordinarily vibrant academic community. We are especially interested in candidates who, through their research, teaching and/or service, will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. For further information about the department and our activities, centers, research areas, and curricular programs, please go to our web page at: http://www.stat.columbia.edu All applications must be submitted through Columbia’s online Recruitment of Academic Personnel System (RAPS) at: http://pa334.peopleadmin.com/postings/4198

e application must include the following:

• A cover letter that explains your motivation for applying for this position and indicates your choice of mentors from the statistics faculty. • A curriculum vitae (including a list of publications) • A brief research statement that summarizes current research interests, past accomplishments, and future research goals. It should contain a short proposal for the research activities you plan to conduct while at Columbia. • e names of 3 references—references will be asked to upload letters of recommendation in RAPS.

Review of applications begins on January 13, 2020, and will continue until the position is lled.

Inquiries may be made to [email protected].

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity/A rmative Action employer —Race/Gender/Disability/Veteran.

november 2019 amstat news 43 applications for a joint tenure-track Assistant Professor position. Applicants must apply online at http//facultyjobs.unt. edu (posting no. 6002419) with a cover letter, current vita, unofficial transcript, contact information of three references, research statement and teaching statement. Review of applications begins October 15, 2019, until the position is closed. EOE.

Wisconsin n Multiple tenure-track assistant professor positions in UW-Madison Statistics Department, beginning August 2020. PhD in statistics or related quantitative field required. Experience in data science, machine learning, statistical computing, or Bayesian statistics desirable. Faculty at UW-Madison teach courses, conduct research, and participate in service and outreach. Apply at https// jobs.hr.wisc.edu/en-us/job/502964/assistant- professor-of-statistics. EOE.

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS Columbia University Lecturer in Discipline Position Starting Fall 2020 e Department of Statistics invites applications for a position at the rank of Lecturer in Discipline that begins July 1, 2020. It is a full-time appointment with multi-year renewals contingent on successful reviews. is position is to contribute to the Departmental educational mission at the undergraduate and masters level.

Lecturers in Discipline are o cers in the University who meet a programmatic need for instruction in specialized elds. e selected candidate will be expected to teach 3 courses per semester. A Ph.D. in Statistics or related eld and a commitment to high-quality teaching at both the undergraduate and MA levels in Statistics and/or Probability are required. Experience with online education is desirable but not required. Candidates will be expected to participate in the full gamut of statistics education including curriculum improvement, modifying and developing courses, and exploring new strategies for the teaching of statistics.

e department currently consists of 35 faculty members and 59 PhD students. e department has been expanding rapidly and, like the University itself, is an extraordinarily vibrant academic community. We are especially interested in candidates who, through their research, teaching and/or service, will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. For further information about the department and our activities, centers, research areas, and curricular programs, please go to our web page at: http:// www.stat.columbia.edu.

All applications must be submitted through Columbia’s online Recruitment of Academic Personnel System (RAPS) and must include the following materials: cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of teaching philosophy, research statement, evidence of teaching e ectiveness (teaching evalua- tions), a sample of course syllabus and the names of 3 references into the system. Applicants also should arrange for three letters of recommendation to be uploaded on their behalf. For more information and to apply, please go to: http://pa334.peopleadmin.com/postings/4191 Inquiries may be made to Dood Kalicharan at [email protected]

Review of applications begins on January 6, 2020 and will continue until the position is lled. Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity/A rmative Action employer.

44 amstat news november 2019 Department of Statistics Tenure-Track Faculty Positions

Th e Department of Statistics at North Carolina State University seeks to hire multiple tenure-track faculty. All ranks will be considered. Th e start date is August 2020.

Applicants with interests and expertise in theoretical or methodological research in any area of statistics or biostatistics will be considered. Candidates with interests in data science, machine learning, and modern methods of data analysis more generally are encouraged to apply. Th e ability and desire to supervise graduate student research and to pursue excellence in teaching are essential.

To apply, please visit: https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/120549

Th e Department provides a dynamic environment for teaching, research and collaborations across disciplines. Inclusiveness and diversity are academic imperatives and are university goals: You will be expected to foster an environment that is supportive and welcoming of all groups. We are interested in candidates who have experience working with students from diverse backgrounds and have a demonstrated commitment to improving access to higher education for students from underrepresented groups.

Th e Department’s location in the Research Triangle provides rich opportunities for interactions with industry; other universities, including Duke Uni- versity and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and government agencies. Faculty enjoy collaborations with medical researchers at Duke, environmental scientists at the EPA research facility, pharmaceutical researchers at Glaxo-SmithKline, and software developers at SAS Institute, among many others. Th e Department is also a founding cooperator of the NSF-funded Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute (SAMSI), located nearby in Research Triangle Park.

All applicants must have a Ph.D. in Statistics or Biostatistics or a related fi eld by the time of employment. Review of applications will begin soon, and continue until the positions are fi lled. Questions about the search may be directed to the Search Committee Chair ([email protected]).

NC State University is an equal opportunity and affi rmative action employer. Women and members of other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. In addition, NC State University welcomes all persons without regard to sexual orientation or genetic information.

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS Columbia University Assistant Professor (Limited-term) Positions starting Fall 2020 e Department of Statistics invites applications for four-year term positions at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin July 1, 2020. A PhD in statistics or a related eld is required, as is a commitment to high quality research and teaching in statistics and/or probability. Candidates will be expected to sustain an active research and publication agenda and to teach in the departmental undergraduate and graduate programs. Candidates with expertise in machine learning, big data, mathematical nance and probability theory are particularly encouraged to apply.

e department expects to support successful candidates with a generous research allowance. e expected teaching load is three semester-long courses per year.

e department currently consists of 35 faculty members and 59 PhD students. e department has been expanding rapidly and, like the Uni- versity itself, is an extraordinarily vibrant academic community. We are especially interested in candidates who, through their research, teaching and/or service, will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. For further information about the department and our activities, centers, research areas, and curricular programs, please go to our web page at: http://www.stat.columbia.edu

All applications must be submitted through Columbia’s online Recruitment of Academic Personnel System (RAPS) at: http://pa334.peopleadmin.com/postings/4158

e application must include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, teaching statement, research statement and the names of 3 references. References will be asked to upload letters of recommendation in RAPS.

Inquiries may be made to Dood Kalicharan at [email protected]

Review of applications begins on December 2, 2019, and will continue until the position is lled. Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity/A rmative Action employer – Race/Gender/Disability/Veteran.

november 2019 amstat news 45

n Multiple tenure-track assistant professor positions in UW-Madison Statistics Department, beginning August 2020. PhD in statistics or related quantitative field required. Experience in data science, machine learning, statistical computing, or Bayesian statistics desirable. For more information, visit www.stat.wisc.edu. EOE.

CANADA Ontario n The Department of Statistics and HAVE YOU Actuarial Science, University of Waterloo invites applications for 6 tenure-track or tenured position in Statistics, biostatistics or data science, or as circumstances war- rant. A PhD in statistics, biostatistics or MOVED related areas is required. Apply through (www.mathjobs.org/jobs). Include cover Log in to your ASA account letter, CV, research/teaching statements, and update your address at up to three reprints/preprints and three reference letters. Full advertisement: https// https://goo.gl/MXh. uwaterloo.ca/statistics-and-actuarial-science/ available-positions. Closing November 20, 2019. EOE/AA. n

46 amstat news november 2019 AMSTATNEWS ADVERTISING DIRECTORY

Listed below are our display advertisements only. If you are looking for job-placement ads, please see the professional opportunities section. For more job listings or more information about advertising, please visit www.amstat.org.

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november 2019 amstat news 47 SOCIAL CHATTER Is there a book of commandments for a statistician? What is it?

Chelsea Parlett-Pelleriti • @ChelseaParlett FOLLOW US 1. Be kind 2. Be thoughtful 3. Build models to answer questions, not b/c Lee D. Witt community. Ask questions, understand amstat.org you think you have to 4. Embrace variation your clients’ problems, 5. Embrace simple models write clearly. www.facebook. 6. Not everything is normal (that’s ok) com/AmstatNews Eric J. Daza 7. Check your assumptions Thou shalt report all tested 8. Allow for mistakes @AmstatNews hypotheses to be a priori 9. Save your code or post hoc, or explain if 10. Invite people in www.instagram otherwise. .com/AmstatNews VlakePhoenix • @VlakePhoenix Cliff Claven Non-random survey is a mortal sin. NEXT MONTH : Is the data truly represen- What’s one of the best tative of the issue being Jim Blevins • @JBlevins0 habits a statistician analyzed? As for a real can have? 1. “Do not block the way of inquiry!” 2. “Probabilities that are strictly objective and at the book, there is “Sampling same time very great, although they can never be Techniques” by William absolutely conclusive, ought nevertheless to influence Cochran. our preference for one hypothesis over another; but Kristin Rahn slight probabilities, even if objective, are not worth The classic... all models are consideration; and merely subjective likelihoods wrong. should be disregarded altogether. For they are merely expressions of our preconceived notions.” (7.227 in Collected Papers of Charles S. Peirce)”

John Bartko Yes indeed there is. The younger statisticians may not be aware of the statistical giant W. Edwards Deming, whose writings include: • The Code of Professional Conduct, Int. Stat. Rev, Vol 40, No. 2, 1972, pp215-219. “ • Principles of Professional Statistical Practice. Annals of Mathematical Statistics, Vol 36, No. 6, December 1965, pp1883-1900, and • Some Responsibilities of the Statistician. Industrial Quality Control, Vol XX, No. 9, March 1964, pp 1-4.

48 amstat news november 2019 International Conference on ATTEND Health Policy Early Registration and Hotel Statistics Reservation Deadline December 6, 2019 Leveraging Data to Shape the Future ICHPS 2020 in San Diego, CA January 6–8, 2020 For practitioners, health service researchers, methodologists, health economists, and policy analysts to exchange and build on ideas to disseminate to the broader health policy community.

Learn more at ww2.amstat.org/ichps. Ed Hutchins, Cree Product Engineering Manager

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