ASA Member News Archive
ASA Member News October 2011
October 2011 Edition
Martha Aliaga: A Wonderful and Remarkable Colleague
With great sadness, the American Statistical Association informs its members of the death of Martha Aliaga, the ASA's director of education. Martha passed away Saturday, October 15, surrounded by her family. As ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein noted, "We have lost a wonderful and remarkable colleague, and our sense of loss is great, but great also is our sense of privilege to have known and worked with her." An in-depth memoriam will be included in the December issue of Amstat News. A memorial service is planned for November 5, at St John's the Evangelist Catholic Church, Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Road, Columbia, MD 21044. A time has not been set as of this posting. If you wish to send Martha's family a letter of condolence, please send it to the ASA Office, in care of The Aliaga Family, 732 North Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 and we will forward it. Memorial gifts toward a scholarship fund in Martha's name would be deeply appreciated by the family. Contributions may be made to the ASA for this fund. More.
Statistical Outreach & News
STAGE SET FOR FINAL FY12 BUDGET DELIBERATIONS FOR SCIENCE AND STATISTICAL AGENCIES
With both the Senate and House having taken action on most of the twelve FY12 appropriations bills and the federal government having begun FY12 on continuing resolutions (CRs) through November 18, the stage is set (I hope) for resolution of the FY12 budget. Let me review where we are at and again ask you to contact your Senators and Representative about the importance of science and statistical agency budgets. Read More.
HHS REQUESTS INPUT ON 'COMMON RULE': DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 26
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is asking for comments about proposed revisions to the “common rule,” the regulations governing the protection of human subjects in research. In an extensive Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) , HHS asked for responses to 66 questions to inform the subsequent proposed rule. Members of the ASA Privacy and Confidentiality Committee are preparing comments about the privacy and confidentiality (P&C) sections of the ANPRM. ASA members can contact the P&C committee about P&C issues and ASA Director of Science Policy Steve Pierson about other common rule issues. The deadline for comments to HHS is October 26.
NSF ATTEMPTS TO EXPAND INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATIONS WITH SAVI
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is attempting to expand international scientific collaborations with SAVI (Science Across Virtual Institutes), a new program that will provide funding for a number of international activities. The program is designed primarily to catalyze international collaborative activities with the expectation that funds from NSF investments and international support can be leveraged to significant advances in science and engineering and for work force development. Read more.
Meetings, Education, & Events
OCTOBER'S FEATURED LEARNSTAT ONDEMAND OFFERING
October’s featured LearnSTAT OnDemand offering is Dual Frame Theory Applied to Landline and Cell Phone Surveys, presented by J. Michael Brick on November 10, 2009.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CHAPTER ONE-DAY SHORT COURSE – San Francisco, California – November 6
The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter is sponsoring a one-day short course on Bayesian Statistics with David Draper. The lecture will include examples of Bayes models estimated in BUGS software. Attendees should bring a laptop with BUGS installed.
WEBINAR: EVOLVING SURVEY RESEARCH: NEW TECHNOLOGIES & THE NEXT STEPS FORWARD- Wednesday, November 30
The webinar will presented by Michael Link, PhD on Wednesday, November 30, 2011, Noon - 1:30 p.m. CST. Join the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) for a webinar on survey research. AAPOR Webinars offer the latest cutting edge methods and research, at an attractive price, without leaving your desk. Purchase the live webinar or the live webinar + audio recording. Great student rates too!
67TH ANNUAL DEMING CONFERENCE ON APPLIED STATISTICS – Atlantic City, New Jersey – December 5–9
The 67th Deming Conference will include two parallel half-day tutorial sessions based on recently published books for the first three days for a total of 12 tutorial sessions. Then, the conference will continue with two two-day short courses. Attendees will receive bound proceedings of the presentations.
FEDERAL COMMITTEE ON STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY (FCSM) RESEARCH CONFERENCE - Washington, DC - January 10–12, 2012
The advance program for the upcoming FCSM Research Conference is set and registration is now open. The conference will consist of a plenary session with keynote speaker Don Dillman from Washington State University, 36 paper sessions, and two technical demonstration sessions. The conference will provide a forum for experts from around the world to discuss and exchange current statistical research and methodological issues. Register and view the advance program on the FCSM website.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CHAPTER WORKSHOP–JANUARY 28, 2012
The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter is hosting a workshop on January 28, 2012. Roger Hoerl and Ronald Snee will present Using Statistical Engineering to Solve Large, Unstructured Problems at the Hotel Biltmore in Santa Clara, California.
ASA CONFERENCE ON STATISTICAL PRACTICE – Orlando, Florida – February 16–18, 2012
The program for the inaugural ASA Conference on Statistical Practice is set. Are you a statistical practitioner—data analyst, researcher, or scientist—engaged in the application of statistics to solve real-world problems on a daily basis? The conference will provide an opportunity to learn about the latest statistical methodologies and best practices in statistical design, analysis, programming, and consulting. Explore the program and register for a short course, tutorial, or the Career Placement Service today.
SAVE THE DATE: 5TH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON INNOVATIONS IN DESIGN, ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINATION: FRONTIERS IN BIOSTATISTICAL METHOD – April 26–27, 2012
Cerner Corporation, the Kansas-Western Missouri Chapter of the ASA, and the department of biostatistics at the University of Kansas Medical Center are pleased to announce the fifth annual symposium, titled “Innovations in Design, Analysis, and Dissemination: Frontiers in Biostatistical Methods.” This event will take place April 26–27, 2012, at the Cerner Vision Center on Cerner Corporation’s World Headquarters campus in Kansas City, Missouri. The keynote address will be delivered by Richard Simon, chief of the Biometric Research Branch of the National Cancer Institute. A pre-symposium short course, titled “Bayesian Adaptive Methods for Clinical Trials,” also will be offered onsite the morning of April 26 by Bradley Carlin, professor and head of biostatistics for the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Registration for events and additional information will be forthcoming on the ASA website.
JSM 2012 – San Diego, California – July 28–August 2, 2012
The 2012 JSM website is now available. Find out more information about key dates.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Statistical events are happening around the country and the globe. View our Upcoming Events Calendar.
Off the Press
IN AMSTAT NEWS: SALARY SURVEY OF BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, AND GOVERNMENT STATISTICIANS
This year, the Biostatistics Consulting and Survey Center in the department of biostatistics at the Georgia Health Sciences University was contracted by the American Statistical Association to design and implement a survey of the association’s nonacademic members in the United States employed by business, industry, or government. Members were asked to report their annual base salary (in dollars) and instructed to include bonuses, incentives, or other forms of monetary reward. Salary was “annualized” for part-time employed respondents. All salary statistics are reported as full-time equivalents in dollars per year. Salary information, in the form of percentiles, is for a 12-month period and has been rounded to the nearest $500. Read more.
SIGNIFICANCE MAGAZINE ONLINE WEB EXCLUSIVES: Sport Rankings and the World Number One
Systems for ranking teams and individuals in sports are familiar and widespread. They also provide an immediate answer to the question of who is the best in the world. It is a simple question, and one that is fiercely debated by students of all popular sporting activity. From a variety of sources, each employing their own opaque methodology, fans can see that Novak Djokovic is the world’s best tennis player, Spain football’s best international football team, Luke Donald the world’s best golfer, and the USA the world’s best international basketball team. To identify an individual or team as ‘the best in the world’ begs the question of whether we can even define what is meant by this convenient shorthand. Any claim to identify a ‘world number one’ must surely be based on a working definition. Read more web exclusives from Significance.
THE LATEST ISSUE OF CHANCE IS ONLINE
“Speaking Stats to Justice: Expert Testimony in a Guatemalan Human Rights Trial Based on Statistical Sampling” is a remarkable account by statistician Daniel Guzmán, who, in 2010, testified as an expert witness in Guatemala during a case involving two former police agents accused of violently disappearing a Guatemalan union activist in 1984. Read more.
INTRODUCING ASA’S NEW MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION AND TRACKING SYSTEM
As you may know, the ASA has collaborated with Taylor & Francis to publish ASA journals JASA, JBES, JCGS, SBR, TAS, and Technometrics beginning in 2012. A big part of joining with Taylor & Francis is moving from the ASA's current manuscript submission system, Allentrack, to ScholarOne. You can learn a great deal about ScholarOne by checking out the online tutorials here. New manuscripts will no longer be accepted on the Allentrack sites. Once all papers have been cleared from Allentrack, those sites will cease operation.
FREE ASA JOURNAL ARTICLE DOWNLOADS
Every issue of JASA, JBES, JCGS, SBR, TAS, and Technometrics has at least one featured article available for free download (for a limited time). Free articles also are available for JASA, TAS, and JCGS. Log in and look for articles marked FREE! And remember, ASA members automatically receive free online access to JASA, JBES, JCGS, SBR, and TAS. Log in at Members Only.
Member Opportunities
ASA ACCREDITATION PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW
The ASA’s accreditation program is up and running, and more than 130 ASA members have been accredited thus far. Perhaps you are ready to join the growing ranks of ASA-accredited statisticians. To find out how, visit the accreditation website and review the guidelines to be sure of your eligibility. For detailed instructions, read this article in Amstat News.
REVERSE TIME CAPSULE
Please join us as we look forward to celebrating the ASA’s 175th anniversary by participating in our “reverse” time capsule project. The reverse time capsule will contain forecasts of or comments about the future, specifically regarding the year 2039 (the 200th anniversary of the ASA), as viewed from the present perspective. Thus, it will be the present perspective on the future. Mostly, however, it is simply a fun activity opened at the start of preparations for the 175th anniversary of the ASA. To access the reverse time capsule, go to ASA Members Only and select the Reverse Time Capsule tab at the top of the page.
STATISTICAL SCIENCE DELEGATION TO ISRAEL
People to People Citizen Ambassador Programs and the ASA have created an exchange to foster international goodwill, professional development, and personal enrichment. Join colleagues from around the world who understand the need for greater depth of knowledge in statistical science. Professional experience at any level will make an important contribution to the team. Delegates will learn about statistical literacy efforts in Israel; how statisticians are trained; and the roles of statisticians in health-related professions, industry, and government. Our delegation will arrive to meet international colleagues in Israel on November 3 and, together, we will have the honor of experiencing the rich culture of Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem. We will arrive back in the United States on November 11.
AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENTS
Deadlines and contact information for ASA national awards, special lectureships, and COPSS awards can be found by visiting the following links: ASA awards, ASA scholarships, and COPSS awards.
AMERICAN STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION’S FELLOWSHIP and RESEARCH PROGRAMS
The American Statistical Association, with support from the National Science Foundation, has collaborated with several national agencies to provide research fellowships to individuals who have an academically recognized research record and considerable expertise in their area of proposed research. Read more about the fellowship programs here.
XUMING HE JOINS THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Xuming He has joined the department of statistics at the University of Michigan as Harry C. Carver Professor of Statistics. He moved to Ann Arbor in September 2011. He is one of several senior faculty members to join the department of statistics at Michigan in the last few years. Others include Naisyin Wang and Tailen Hsing (who is currently chair of the department). Read more about Xuming’s background and accomplishments here.
CALL FOR 2012 STUDENT INTERNSHIP LISTINGS DEADLINE: October 20, 2011
Would your organization like to list an internship opportunity in the December 2011 issue of Amstat News and on the ASA website? Return the completed form to educinfo@amstat.org by October 20, 2011. Any 2012 internship listings received after October 20 will be posted on the ASA web site only.
2012 UPS GEORGE D. SMITH PRIZE: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS DEADLINE: October 31
Submit your application now for this new INFORMS prize that rewards an academic department or program for effective and innovative preparation of students to be good practitioners of OR/MS or analytics, defined broadly. The deadline for applications is October 31, 2011. Watch the announcement from the 2011 Edelman Gala. For more information, contact the prize chair, Robert D. Smith.
DEMING LECTURESHIP COMMITTEE NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR 2012 LECTURER DEADLINE: November 15
Deming Lecturer Award nominations are being accepted for the 2012 Deming Lecturer. Nominations should be submitted no later than November 15. Visit for more information and a nomination form. If you have questions, contact the committee chair, A. Blanton Godfrey or (919) 515-6500. Nominations should be sent to the ASA office at pamela@amstat.org or 732 N. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, ATTN: Award Nominations.
NOETHER COMMITTEE NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR 2012 AWARD DEADLINE: December 1
The 2012 Noether Senior Scholar and Noether Young Scholar awards committee will accept nominations for the 2012 awards until December 1. Please visit for more information and a nomination form. If you have questions, contact the committee chair, Pranab K. Sen or (919) 966-7274. Nominations should be sent to the ASA office at pamela@amstat.org or 732 N. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, ATTN: Award Nominations.
NEW SUBMISSION DATES FOR STUDENT PAPER COMPETITIONS/TRAVEL AWARDS TO ATTEND JOINT STATISTICAL MEETINGS DEADLINE: December 15
More than 12 ASA sections sponsor student paper competition/travel awards to assist students with travel expenses to attend JSM. Beginning this year, the submission dates have been uniformly standardized. The submission deadline for all section competitions is December 15. The ASA has created a portal page where students can see which sections sponsor student paper competitions and links to the guidelines for each.
2012 COUNCIL OF CHAPTERS TRAVELING COURSES DEADLINE FOR CHAPTER APPLICATION: December 31
The courses for the 2012 Council of Chapters Traveling Course program have been finalized. They are “Applied Mixed Models” by Linda Young, “Applied Survival Analysis” by Susanne May, and “Monte Carlo Methods with R” by George Casella. The deadline for ASA chapters to apply to host these courses is December 31.
Feedback, comments, or suggestions are welcome please email asamail@amstat.org with your ideas.