Elevating Applied Statistics in Academic Departments

• Activity Number: 118 - Elevating Applied Statistics in Academic Departments
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Monday, August 9, 2021 : 1:30 PM to 3:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Consulting
• Author(s): Erin Blankenship* and Rebecca Doerge* and Sandrine Dudoit* and Montserrat Fuentes* and Heather Smith*
• Companies: University of Nebraska Lincoln and Carnegie Mellon University and University of California Berkeley and University of Iowa and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
• Keywords: applied statistics; evaluation; statistical collaborator; promotion

Abstract

The traditional curriculum in statistics, both undergraduate and graduate, provides students with breadth in both theory and application. The faculty within academic statistics departments specialize in areas that make up that broad education. The faculty evaluation process focuses on assessment of teaching, service, and research. It is not uncommon for the applied, collaborative statistician to have the focus of their work lie outside the field of statistics, as they teach and collaborate with researchers in other disciplines. Their research, while substantial, can be more difficult to evaluate than the contributions of those publishing directly in statistics journals and training statistics students. The applied, collaborative statistician does however, make an impact on not only the field of statistics but also on broader scientific discovery.

In this panel, successful statisticians will discuss practical ways that faculty working in this domain can be recognized and elevated in academic statistics departments. These statisticians will share experiential stories for raising the profile of applied statistics in their departments.