ASA Member News Archive
ASA Member News October 2012
October 2012 Edition
Statistical Outreach & News
ASA CONGRATULATES BUREAU OF TRANSPORTATION STATISTICS ON 20TH ANNIVERSARY
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics is celebrating its 20th anniversary this week. In a letter to BTS Director Patricia Hu, ASA President Bob Rodriguez and Executive Director Ron Wasserstein wrote, “BTS has played an integral role in providing high-quality data and statistical analyses about our nation’s ground, rail, air, and maritime transportation systems to policymakers and regulators at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as to the private sector. … We commend you and everyone at BTS for a job well done, and we send along best wishes for a prosperous future over the next 20 years and beyond.”
To receive updates about ASA Science Policy activities or news, follow us on Twitter: @ASA_SciPol. See recent Tweets.
Meetings, Education, & Events
2012 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON METHODS FOR SURVEYING AND ENUMERATING HARD TO REACH POPULATIONS – New Orleans, LA – October 31–November 3
This conference will bring together survey methodologists, sociologists, statisticians, demographers, ethnographers, policy analysts, and other professionals from around the world to present new and innovative concepts and techniques for surveying hard-to-reach populations. The conference will address both the statistical and survey design aspects of including hard-to-reach groups and serve as a venue to network and share research and experiments designed to advance our understanding of the topic. Register now.
ASA WEBINAR: MONTE CARLO METHODS AND BAYESIAN COMPUTATION IN R – November 15
This webinar, presented by Jim Albert, describes the use of the statistical system R in Monte Carlo experiments and Bayesian computation. The use of R in Bayesian computation is described, including the programming of the posterior distribution and the use of different R tools to summarize the posterior. Special focus will be on the application of Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms and diagnostic methods. Register now.
2013 ASA CONFERENCE ON STATISTICAL PRACTICE – New Orleans, LA – February 21–23
Join us for the Conference on Statistical Practice. CSP 2013 brings together hundreds of statistical practitioners—including data analysts, researchers, and scientists—who engage 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. View the tentative program. Register now.
DELEGATION TO CUBA – MAY 19–24
The ASA is organizing a delegation to visit Cuba May 19–24 to develop an improved understanding of the roles played by statistics and statisticians in Cuba in academe, business, and government, as well as the efforts under way to train statisticians and build capacity for the profession. 2013 ASA President Marie Davidian will lead the delegation, which will discuss matters of common interest regarding the development of statistical capacity in the work force. Participants will learn about how statisticians are trained in Cuba and share information about statistical work force development in the United States. ASA members are invited to join in this unique opportunity. Look for an email message from the ASA inviting you to participate.
JSM 2013 – Montréal, Québec, Canada – August 3–8
Start planning now for JSM 2013. This year’s JSM will also celebrate the International Year of Statistics. Learn more about Montréal’s European charm and extensive cultural happenings.
2013 ASA BIOPHARMACEUTICAL SECTION FDA-INDUSTRY STATISTICS WORKSHOP – Washington, DC – September 16–18, 2013
The FDA-Industry Statistics Workshop invites proposals for plenary/concurrent sessions, short courses, and roundtable luncheon/town hall discussions. The online submission site will open on November 1 for all session types. The deadline for submission of plenary/concurrent sessions and short courses is December 31. Proposals for roundtable luncheon/town hall discussion will be accepted through March 1, 2013.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Statistical events are happening around the country and the globe. View our Upcoming Events Calendar.
Off the Press
AMSTAT NEWS
CAREER SUCCESS TRAINING FOR STATISTICIANS: A PROGRESS UPDATE
One of the initiatives described in the president’s January column was the formation of a workgroup to develop career-building courses that enable statisticians to become more successful. In this month’s column, the workgroup chair, Bob Starbuck, explains how this effort has evolved, how you can contribute, and how you will benefit. Read more here.
SIGNIFICANCE MAGAZINE ONLINE WEB EXCLUSIVES
ARE SOCIAL NETWORKS RISKY? ASSESSING AND MITIGATING RISK
Since social networking has become increasingly popular, security and privacy issues have become a concern. This article takes a quantitative approach to assessing security and privacy risks for social networks and demonstrates how to manage risk by using a cost-optimal game-theoretical solution. A number of real people were interviewed and the results are discussed. Ramifications of this quantitative risk assessment of privacy and security breaches in social networks will be summarized. Read more here.
Read more web exclusives from Significance.
CALL FOR EDITOR NOMINATIONS
The ASA is inviting nominations and applications for the following:
- JASA Theory and Methods Co-Editors
- JASA/TAS Reviews Editor
- Statistics in Biopharmaceutical Research Editor
For more information, including detailed descriptions of the duties and responsibilities, please contact journals@amstat.org.
Member Opportunities
ASA ANNOUNCES 2013 MEMBERSHIP RATES
The ASA Board of Directors approved membership rates for 2013 during the August board meeting. View the membership rates.
INFORM NEW ACTIVITIES, PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT K–16 MATHEMATICS, STATISTICS EDUCATION
The National Science Foundation (NSF), in cooperation with the U.S Department of Education, is interested in input that can inform new activities and programs to support and improve K–16 mathematics education. The working group is viewing mathematics to broadly include pure and applied math, statistics, and the computational sciences. For more information and to provide input regarding K–16 mathematics and statistics education, see the NSF Dear Colleague letter and survey.
PROJECT-SET
Project-SET is a new National Science Foundation–funded project to develop curricular materials that enhance the ability of high-school teachers to foster students’ statistical learning regarding sampling variability and regression. All materials will be geared toward helping high-school teachers implement the Common Core State Standards for statistics and are closely aligned with the learning goals outlined in Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) Report: A Pre-K–12 Curriculum Framework. Materials will be available in January of 2013.
LESSON PLANS AVAILABLE/WANTED ON STATISTICS EDUCATION WEB FOR K–12 TEACHERS
STatistics Education Web (STEW) is an online resource for peer-reviewed lesson plans for K–12 teachers. The lesson plans identify both the statistical concepts being developed and the age range appropriate for their use. Lesson plans will showcase the use of statistical methods and ideas in science and mathematics based on the framework and levels in the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE). The editor of STEW, Mary Richardson of Grand Valley State University, is accepting submissions of lesson plans for an online bank of peer-reviewed lessons for K–12 teachers of mathematics and science. Consider submitting several of your favorite lesson plans according to the STEW template to steweditor@amstat.org.
ASA ACCREDITATION PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW
The ASA’s accreditation program recently expanded the benefits of becoming an Accredited Professional Statistician. ASA accreditation is a portfolio-based credential available to only ASA members. It is completely voluntary and intended for those who think such a credential would be meaningful in their professional lives. New benefits include free LearnStat on Demand access, a 20% discount on regular Continuing Education courses, and special recognition. The ASA would like to congratulate the following people who became accredited members during the month of September: Peter Forbes of Children’s Hospital Boston, Hong Chen of McDougall Scientific, Ltd., Francis Mendez of Texas State University, Rasheed Ojikutu of the University of Lagos, and Chungui Wang of McDougall Scientific, Ltd. A full list of accredited members is also available. To find out how to start enjoying extra benefits today, visit the accreditation website and review the guidelines to be sure of your eligibility.
AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS, & CONTESTS
INFORMS Second Annual UPS George D. Smith Prize – Deadline: October 29 2012
DEMING LECTURER AWARD – Deadline: November 15, 2012
AAAS STUDENT POSTER COMPETITION – Deadline: November 20, 2012
YOUNG RESEARCHER AWARDS OF THE IISA - Deadline (extended): December 1, 2012
NOETHER SENIOR AND YOUNG SCHOLAR AWARD – Deadline: December 1, 2012
L. ADRIENNE CUPPLES AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND SERVICE IN BIOSTATISTICS – Deadline: December 1, 2012
Stand Up for Science CONTEST – Deadline: December 1, 2012
RAO PRIZE AWARD – Deadline: December 3, 2012
2013 ASA/NSF/BLS FELLOWSHIPS – Deadline: January 20, 2013
International Year of Statistics: Video Contest – Deadline: February 28, 2012
Feedback, comments, or suggestions are welcome please email asamail@amstat.org with your ideas.