Section on Teaching of Statistics in the Health Sciences: 25 Years Later

• Activity Number: 483
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 6, 2014 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Committee on ASA Archives and Historical Materials
• Author(s): Constantine Daskalakis*+
• Companies: Thomas Jefferson University
• Keywords: ASA section ; Teaching ; Health sciences ; History

Abstract

ASA's Section on Teaching of Statistics in the Health Sciences was established as a subsection of the Section on Statistical Education in 1970, and became an independent section in 1991. Stephen Looney, Todd Nick, Ralph O'Brien, Bob Oster and others led the section's early growth in the mid-to-late 1990s. Sessions and continuing education courses were organized at JSM, the newsletter was modernized, and a first website was established. In the early-to-mid 2000s, Ruth Mickey, Walter Ambrosius, Cyndy Long, Ed Gracely, the late Patrick Arbogast, Jodi Lapidus, and Scott Evans added their own efforts in strengthening section activities. It was during this time that section-sponsored roundtables were introduced at JSM, the major awards were established, and the newsletter became electronic. Today, the section numbers almost 700 members from more than two dozen countries, with a strong presence of students and recent graduates. It has a strong presence at JSM, a modern website, and is developing a teaching resources portal in collaboration with CAUSEWeb. Future initiatives may focus on mentoring, student engagement, and closer work with other ASA entities focused on education.