ASA Member News Archive
ASA Member News May 2008
Welcome to the May edition of ASA Member News, the ASA's monthly e-newsletter.
STATbit
Did you know the ASA Press Room highlights statisticians in the news? Visit the press room to keep up to date on statisticians making headlines.
In Amstat News
In this month’s President’s Column, Peter A. (Tony) Lachenbruch invites Barry Nussbaum of the EPA to describe the role statistics and statisticians play at the EPA. Read the column.
Upcoming Deadlines
JSM 2008 REGISTRATION – Early Bird Deadline – June 26, 2008
Registration for JSM 2008—to be held in Denver, Colorado—is open. Register before June 26, 2008, to take advantage of the Early Bird rates. Register now.
JSM CAREER PLACEMENT - Early Bird Deadline - June 26, 2008
Take advantage of the full-service recruiting facility for employers and job seekers at the JSM Career Placement Service this year in Denver. If you are an employer with statistical openings or a statistician looking for a new or first job, this is the place for you! The online resume and job searches open on June 1, 2008. Register Now.
Events Outlook
ASA CONFERENCE ON RADIATION AND HEALTH – Vail, Colorado – June 15–18, 2008
The 2008 American Statistical Association’s Conference on Radiation and Health continues a decades-long tradition of bringing together scientists working in the biophysical, biological, biostatistical, and public health aspects of radiation epidemiology in a beautiful and relaxed atmosphere. All speakers are internationally recognized experts in their fields of specialization. The meeting will focus on new directions in radiation research, including recent discoveries in radiobiology, radiation dosimetry, and radiation epidemiology, as well as new statistical approaches to existing data. In addition, the program will highlight the epidemiological and scientific evidence of radiation effects on human health occurring at low dose levels.
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN STANDARDS AND THE CLASSROOM Teaching Data Analysis, Probability, and Statistics: A Conference for Pre-K–12 Mathematics Educators – Lawrenceville, New Jersey – June 20, 2008
The ASA/NCTM Joint Committee on Curriculum in Probability and Statistics is sponsoring a one-day conference for Pre-K–12 mathematics educators interested in bridging the gap between national standards and classroom practice in data analysis, probability, and statistics. Participants will gain greater familiarity with the ASA’s Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) Report: A Pre-K-12 Curriculum Framework and examine classroom-ready instructional activities that support the teaching and learning of data analysis, probability, and statistics concepts. Register now.
SECOND ANNUAL WORKSHOP FOR CHAIRS OF PROGRAMS IN STATISTICS AND BIOSTATISTICS – Denver, Colorado – August 1–2, 2008
The Caucus of Academic Representatives will hold its second annual workshop for chairs of programs in statistics and biostatistics Friday and Saturday, August 1–2, in Denver, Colorado. The first day will be primarily for new and less experienced chairs, but the second day will be for all chairs.
WRITING WORKSHOP FOR JUNIOR RESEARCHERS – Denver, Colorado – August 3 and 6, 2008
The ASA and NISS will hold a writing workshop for junior researchers in conjunction with the Joint Statistical Meetings in Denver, Colorado. There will be a tutorial on Sunday, August 3, and a follow-up lunch on Wednesday, August 6. There is no cost to attend, but participation is limited.
MEETING WITHIN A MEETING (MWM): FREE ASA WORKSHOP FOR K–12 MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHERS – Denver, Colorado – August 4–5, 2008
MWM—for K–12 math and science teachers—will occur in conjunction with JSM this summer in Denver to enhance K–12 educators’ understanding of statistics and provide interactive activities to strengthen teaching of statistics within the math and science curriculum. Teachers will apply concepts in the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) Report: A Pre-K–12 Curriculum Framework by exploring problems that require them to collect, organize, analyze, and draw conclusions from data. Do you know any K–12 teachers who might be interested in attending MWM? We are especially looking to reach out to K–4 teachers and science teachers.
BEYOND AP STATISTICS (BAPS) WORKSHOP – Denver, Colorado – August 5, 2008
The ASA/NCTM Joint Committee is pleased to sponsor a Beyond AP Statistics (BAPS) workshop at the annual Joint Statistical Meetings in Denver August 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Organized by Roxy Peck, the BAPS workshop is offered for AP Statistics teachers and consists of enrichment material just beyond the basic AP syllabus. The cost of the workshop is $50, which covers all materials and lunch.
2008 FDA/INDUSTRY STATISTICS WORKSHOP – Arlington, Virginia –September 15–17, 2008
Registration for the FDA/Industry Statistics workshop will open June 2. The workshop, with an attendance limit of 650, has sold out prior to the advance registration deadline the past two years.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Statistical events are happening around the country and the globe. View our Upcoming Events Calendar.
@amstat.org
JSM 2008 REGISTRATION
Registration for JSM 2008—to be held in Denver, Colorado—is open. Register now.
Special Opportunities
ASA URGES FUNDING FOR SCIENCE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN FY2008 SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING LEGISLATION
The ASA signed letters to President George W. Bush and congressional leaders in April, urging them to include funding for scientific research and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education in the FY2008 supplemental funding legislation. The first letter was signed by ASA President Peter Lachenbruch and 18 other professional society leaders. In a broader effort that reached out to the business, academic, and research communities—including IBM, Microsoft, Xerox, Hewlett Packard, and Motorola—the ASA was one of more than 250 entities signing the letters. In a press release accompanying the second set of letters, Lachenbruch said, “Including funding for science in the supplemental legislation would demonstrate a real commitment by the president and the Congress to addressing the competitiveness challenges we face. Only through advancing science research and education can we as a country retain our long-term economic prosperity.” The complete text of the letter and the names of the signatories can be viewed on the ASA web site.
STATISTICS TEACHER NETWORK (STN) NEWSLETTER IS NOW ONLINE
After taking a few months off, STN is back in a new electronic format. View STN edition 72. Be informed when future editions are available by subscribing to the new STN email list by sending a message with subscribe STN-L in the body. Paper copies of STN issues will no longer be mailed. Please inform your colleagues about STN and offer your feedback on the new electronic format. As always, readers are encouraged to submit articles for publication.
2008 EDUCATIONAL AMBASSADOR SELECTED
Members of the Committee on International Relations in Statistics are pleased to announce the selection of the 2008 ASA Educational Ambassador. Idir Ouassou, of Morocco, will take the two-day JSM Continuing Education course Generalized Linear Mixed Models: Theory and Applications, presented by Oliver Schabenberger and Walter Stroup. For more information about the ASA Educational Ambassador program, contact Martha Aliaga, ASA director of programs.
SEEKING ARTICLES FOR NEW AMSTAT NEWS COLUMN FOR GOVERNMENT STATISTICIANS
Amstat News will introduce a monthly column for government statisticians in the June 2008 issue. The first column will feature an article by Katherine K. Wallman, chief statistician at the Office of Management and Budget. If you are a statistician working in the government and would like to contribute an article about what you do, contact Martha Aliaga, ASA director of programs, or Megan Murphy, Amstat News managing editor.
FIRST EDITOR OF THE ASA STATISTICS EDUCATION WEB (STEW) SELECTED
The STEW Search Committee is pleased to announce the selection of the editor of Statistics Education Web, or STEW, an online bank of peer-reviewed lesson plans for K–12 teachers of math and science. W. Scott Street, IV—who will serve as editor from 2009 through 2011, with orientation beginning in 2008—will select lesson plans that showcase the use of statistical methods and ideas in science and mathematics based on the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) Report: A Pre-K–12 Curriculum Framework. Visit the STEW site.
FREE STATISTICS EDUCATION WEBINARS
Recorded webinars (web-based seminars) about K–12 statistics education topics are available online for free. This webinar series was developed as part of the follow-up activities for the ASA Meeting Within a Meeting (MWM) workshop for math and science teachers held in conjunction with the Joint Statistical Meetings last summer in Salt Lake City. MWM and the webinars are part of the ASA’s outreach activities to enhance K–12 statistics education. The Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education (CAUSE) offers free webinars on undergraduate statistics education topics.
Feedback, comments, or suggestions are welcome please email asamail@amstat.org with your ideas.