A Time Travel with 40 Statistics Departments: Stories You Want to Hear (or Forget)

• Activity Number: 47
• Type: Other
• Date/Time: Sunday, August 4, 2013 : 4:00 PM to 5:50 PM
• Sponsor: ASA
• Author(s): Alan Agresti and Xiao-Li Meng*+
• Companies: University of Florida and Harvard University
• Keywords: history ; statistics departments ; biostatistics departments

Abstract

We recently edited a book -- "Strength in Numbers: The Rising of Academic Statistics Departments in the U. S." -- in which the 40 U.S. statistics and biostatistics departments that have been in existence since at least the mid-1960s each submitted a memoir describing key aspects of the department's history. These memoirs focused on the department's founding, its growth, key people in its development, success stories (such as major research accomplishments) and the occasional failure story, PhD graduates who have had a significant impact, its impact on statistical education, and a summary of where the department stands today and its vision for the future. Our presentation will provide stories (e.g., Who seeded the idea to start Harvard statistics?), lessons (e.g., Why is there no MIT statistics?), and recommendations (e.g., How to rebuild Princeton Statistics?). [An autographed copy will be given to the audience who provides the most sensible answers to these three questions.]