ASA at 175 - Volunteer!

By Ronald Wasserstein - April 98, 2014

If you read any news about the ASA, you’ll quickly figure out that the ASA is a volunteer-led and volunteer-sustained organization.  The thirty-four staff of the ASA have important roles to play, but without member commitment, we would be a much smaller, less vibrant, and far less influential organization.

Thankfully, the ASA has a long and sustained history of volunteer participation in ASA activities.  Perhaps you are interested in joining the ranks of member volunteers making their mark on the association and the profession.  Today’s blog will outline the opportunities available, and how to connect with them.  I’ll offer a personal testimony...

ASA at 175 - Where to Find News About the ASA

By Ronald Wasserstein - April 96, 2014

During 2014, it is easier than ever for ASA members, and everyone else, to find out what is going on at the ASA and in the statistics profession. There are now FOUR great places to look. Here they are, in order that they came into existence:

• Amstat News online

Amstat News has been around since the 70’s, became a colorful magazine in the 90’s, and in the 00’s ASA launched the online presence of the magazine. Amstat News Online has the full contents of the...

ASA at 175 - At Day Two of the Spring 2014 ASA Board Meeting

By Ronald Wasserstein - April 95, 2014

The Board wrapped up its two-day (Friday and Saturday) meeting and we wrap our look behind the scenes at an ASA Board meeting in today’s blog. The Board spent 6.5 hours with an interesting and at times intense agenda, and still managed to do its work with good grace and even a bit of levity from time to time.

The day began with an update from the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), an important partner of...

ASA at 175 - At Day One of the Spring 2014 ASA Board Meeting

By Ronald Wasserstein - April 94, 2014

Today was the first day of the ASA’s two-day Spring meeting.  I’ll paint a picture of the day’s events, as we continue our series that takes you behind the scenes and on the set of an ASA Board of Directors meeting.  Tuesday's blog provided an overview of the Board and its meetings.  Wednesday's we looked at the preparations for the meeting, and yesterday we looked other things we ask Board members to do while they are in the DC area for the Board meeting.  Now, however, the main event has begun.

The Board meeting takes place in the first floor conference room...

ASA at 175 - Since you are going to be in town anyway...

By Ronald Wasserstein - April 93, 2014

We continue our series that takes you behind the scenes and on the set of an ASA Board of Directors meeting.  Tuesday's blog provided an overview of the Board and its meetings.  Yesterday we looked at the preparations for the meeting.  Today we’ll take a glimpse at other things we ask Board members to do while they are in the DC area for the Board meeting.

Frequently, we ask the Board, particularly the ASA presidents, to help us call upon various federal agencies to introduce the ASA and statistics to them, or to further develop connections that we already have.  This week, for...