ASA Member News Archive
ASA Member News March 2013
March 2013 Edition
Statistical Outreach & News
SEQUESTRATION CUTS IN PLACE, IMPACTS BEING DETERMINED AS FINAL BUDGET LEVELS FOR FY13 BEING DEBATED
The across-the-board federal budget cuts, known as sequestration, were put in place March 1, with most federal agencies dealing with 5% cuts. As federal agencies work to determine the full impact of the cuts, Congress is trying to finalize the FY13 budget in advance of the expiration of the current continuing resolution on March 27. Most federal agencies—including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and many federal statistical agencies—are operating at their FY12 level minus 5%. Congress’s current deliberations may tweak those levels for some agencies, or give those agencies more freedom to deal with the cuts, but significant changes are not expected. The sequestration impacts are being tracked in this ASA Community blog entry. The final FY13 levels for NIH, NSF, and the federal statistical agencies also will be posted at the following blog entries: FY13 Statistical Agency Budget Developments and FY13 NSF and NIH Budget Developments.
OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS FINAL RULE FACILITATES SERVICE OF FEDERAL STATISTICIANS IN ASA GOVERNANCE
The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) issued a final rule on March 6 that makes it easier for federal scientists to serve in professional association leadership. The ASA welcomes the news because of the important role federal statisticians play in the ASA, both as members and as officers in our leadership, committees, sections, and chapters. Read more in this ASA Community blog entry.
ASA RECOMMENDS CHIEF STATISTICAL SCIENTIST AT NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
In response to the call for comments for how the NSF can better support the statistical sciences, ASA President Marie Davidian submitted a letter in which the association recommended the appointment of a chief statistical scientist in the office of the NSF director. Emphasizing that "better recognition of and support for the statistical sciences at NSF would better position the foundation to carry out its mission," Davidian wrote, "The purpose of this position would be to leverage advances in the statistical sciences across all NSF divisions to support the agency’s mission of advancing sciences as rapidly and economically as possible.” She also wrote, "The field of statistics is ideally situated to translate methodological advances from one application area to another, thereby benefiting all areas of science, and doing so in an economically prudent way." Read more in this ASA Community blog entry.
STATISTICS STUDENTS SHINE AT AAAS MEETING
Several statistics students stood out at the recently conducted annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. Ten of the winning 142 posters in the highly competitive student poster competition, which spanned all areas of science, were developed by statistics students. Additionally, statistics students Kristin Linn of North Carolina State University and Stefa Etchegaray of Carnegie Mellon were two of only four winners of the prestigious Joshua Neimark Travel Award. The award covered travel expenses for Linn and Etchegaray to attend the meeting and present their posters in person. Congratulations to all the students on their great work.
Meetings, Education, & Events
CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY SYMPOSIUM ON BIG DATA AND ANALYTICS: 44TH SYMPOSIUM ON THE INTERFACE OF COMPUTING SCIENCE AND STATISTICS – Orange, CA – April 4–6
This joint Chapman-Interface symposium welcomes scientific contributions dealing with Big Data to advance core scientific and technological means of managing, analyzing, visualizing, and extracting useful information from large and diverse data sets. Register now.
THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA 6th ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON STATISTICAL ISSUES IN CLINICAL TRIALS: DYNAMIC TREATMENT – Philadelphia, PA – April 17
The 2013 conference will bring together leading scientists, who will make presentations and lead open discussions about state-of-the-art and developing methods in new designs for evaluating treatment strategies when regular time-varying adaptive changes in treatment are expected. People from academic institutions, industry, and governmental agencies with an interest in contributing to these discussions are encouraged to register. Registration deadline is April 4. For further information, contact Marissa Fox at (215) 573-2728.
CHICAGO CHAPTER WORKSHOP: PROBABILITY MODELS FOR CUSTOMER ANALYTICS– Northwestern University, Chicago, IL – April 26
This workshop, presented by Peter S. Fader and Bruce Hardie, aims to bring practitioners up to speed on the basic methods that may underlie many of their current or future research activities. The program will benefit all analytics professionals, as well as more senior managers who want to gain a firmer grip on these concepts and methods. For more information and to register, visit the website.
THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE ON TEACHING STATISTICS (USCOTS) –Raleigh-Durham, NC – May 16–18
This conference was designed to model good teaching in its sessions, social activities, and hallways. As with previous USCOTS, it will consist of plenary sessions, hands-on breakout sessions, and “poster and beyond” sessions for participants to share and demonstrate their own teaching and learning innovations. The conference banquet, hosted by SAS on their nearby campus, will feature statistical “edutainment.” This is a fun, interactive conference at which you will have the opportunity to meet other statistics teachers from a wide range of institutions. Early registration deadline is April 1.
DELEGATION TO CUBA – May 19–24
The ASA is organizing a delegation to Cuba 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. Participants will learn about how statisticians are trained in Cuba and share information about statistical work force development in the United States. Please RSVP to Professionals Abroad or (877) 298-9677.
7th INTERNATIONAL TOTAL SURVEY ERROR WORKSHOP – Ames, IA – June 2-4
ITSEW is an annual workshop to discuss emerging research on multiple survey errors. Topics focus on research that explores or analyzes the trade-offs of two or more sources of survey error within the context of relatively recent methodological or statistical approaches. The 7th ITSEW will take place from June 2–4 at the Gateway Hotel in Ames, Iowa, near the Iowa State University campus. For more information, visit http://www.stat.iastate.edu/itsew2013/.
30TH ANNUAL QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY RESEARCH CONFERENCE – Niskayuna, NY – June 4–7
The goal of the QPRC is to stimulate interdisciplinary research among statisticians, scientists, and engineers in quality and productivity, industrial needs, and the physical and engineering sciences. Statistical issues and research approaches drawn from collaborative research will be highlighted. The conference will be held at GE Global Research Headquarters. Please visit our website for program and registration information.
2013 GRAYBILL CONFERENCE – Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO – June 9–11
The Department of Statistics at Colorado State University will host Graybill 2013: Modern Survey Statistics in Fort Collins. The conference program consists of a short course, 26 invited plenary talks, and a contributed poster session focusing on new developments in survey statistics and related areas. Online registration is available until June 2.
JSM 2013 – Montréal, Québec, Canada – August 3–8
This year’s meetings will celebrate the International Year of Statistics. Statistician Nate Silver, the founder of the award-winning FiveThirtyEight.com political website, will be the President's Invited Address speaker. Registration and housing will open May 1. In an effort to accommodate recent developments of great interest in which statistical issues are relevant, there are two invited session slots reserved for late-breaking issues. Any member of the sponsoring organizations or partner societies can propose such a session. Propose your late-breaking session today!
RSS 2013 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE – Newcastle, UK – September 2–5
Submissions for contributed talks and posters are welcomed for the Royal Statistical Society’s International Conference this September. The deadline for submissions is March 25. The conference will include keynote speakers, invited sessions, professional development workshops, and networking opportunities, as well as the society’s annual awards ceremony.
ASA BIOPHARMACEUTICAL SECTION FDA-INDUSTRY STATISTICS WORKSHOP– Washington, DC – September 16–18
The ASA Biopharmaceutical Section FDA-Industry Statistics Workshop is sponsored by the ASA Biopharmaceutical Section in cooperation with the FDA Statistical Association. Each year, the conference offers two days of invited sessions co-chaired by statisticians from industry, academia, and the FDA. In addition, short courses on related topics are offered the day prior to the workshop. Conference attendance will be limited to 750 participants. Make sure to check the website for updates and deadlines.
2013 FCSM RESEARCH CONFERENCE – Washington, DC – November 4–6
Abstract submission for the 2013 Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology (FCSM) Research Conference will be open until April 8. The conference provides a forum for experts from around the world to discuss and exchange current research and methodological topics relevant to statistical programs.
Statistical events are happening around the country and the globe. View our Upcoming Events Calendar.
Off the Press
AMSTAT NEWS
UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO TO COMMEMORATE STATISTICS2013 AS HOST OF SASA
The South African Statistical Association (SASA) recently announced that the University of Limpopo will host its 2013 national conference, SASA 2013, November 4–8. The 2013 conference marks the association’s 60th anniversary. The annual conference is an important component in the efforts of SASA to achieve its mission of facilitating the advancement of statistical knowledge and promoting applications of statistical theory in all spheres of life, hence contributing positively to the development of South Africa. Read more.
SIGNIFICANCE MAGAZINE ONLINE WEB EXCLUSIVES
CAN YOU NAME A FEMALE STATISTICIAN?
We read about statistics every day, be it the predicted winner of a football league, the association between the weather and mortality, or a newly discovered link between an inanimate object and cancer. Statistics are everywhere. And perhaps even more so this year, as 2013 has been hailed as the International Year of Statistics. Despite all this attention for numbers, we generally don't know a lot about the people hiding behind their computers churning them out. With media attention for people like Nate Silver and Hans Rosling, some are now able to name at least one statistician, but, stepping it up a level, could you name a female statistician? Read more.
Read more web exclusives from Significance.
Member Opportunities
NSF SEEKING SCIENCE MEDAL NOMINATIONS
The National Science Foundation is accepting nominations for the 2013 National Medal of Science. Established in 1959, the award is the highest recognition our nation bestows for outstanding contributions to knowledge or sustained, impactful work in the sciences, including statistics. Conferred by the U.S. president, the medal has been awarded to nearly 500 pioneering individuals. Several ASA members—including John Tukey (1973), Calyampudi Radhakrishna (C.R.) Rao (2002), Brad Efron (2007), and S.R. Srinivasa Varadhan (2011)—were honored with the medal. To nominate an exceptional colleague for this prestigious honor, submit a nomination form and three to five letters of support by April 1. Contact the program manager for the National Medal of Science or (703) 292-8040 with your questions. Get the nomination form and learn more.
UPCOMING ASA WEBINARS
The ASA will hold various webinars during March and April, with topics ranging from “Creating Statistical Graphics in SAS” to “Mixed Models for Longitudinal Categorical Outcomes.” These web-based lectures are part of our Continuing Education offerings. For more information and to register, visit http://www.amstat.org/education/weblectures/index.cfm.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASA MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL LAB DAY
President Obama announced the establishment of National Lab Day, a nationwide movement to bring together stakeholders in communities of support where science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professionals and teachers work together to provide high-quality, hands-on, discovery-based lab experiences for students. The ASA is participating in this program and offering ways for members to become involved in their communities. To learn more, visit the ASA-NLD resource page.
GIVE THE GIFT OF SIGNIFICANCE TO YOUR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL
Help your local high school introduce the power of statistics to our children through a tax-deductible gift subscription to Significance magazine. Significance articles are nontechnical, appealing to everyone interested in statistics and the analysis and interpretation of data. The magazine communicates and demonstrates, in an entertaining and thought-provoking way, the practical use of statistics in all walks of life and shows how statistics benefit society. Provide your local high school with a subscription today.
2013 POSTER AND PROJECT COMPETITION
Introduce K–12 students to statistics through the annual poster and project competitions directed by the ASA/NCTM Joint Committee on Curriculum in Statistics and Probability. The competitions offer opportunities for students to formulate questions and collect, analyze, and draw conclusions from data. Winners will be recognized with plaques, cash prizes, certificates, and calculators, and their names will be published in Amstat News. Posters (grades K–12) are due every year on April 1. Projects (grades 7–12) are due on June 1. For more information, visit www.amstat.org/education/posterprojects.
ASA ACCREDITATION PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW
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. 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 newly accredited member for the month of February: John Bailer of Miami University. View the full list of accredited members.
AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS, & CONTESTS
ASA AWARDS AND DEADLINES –Deadline: Various
2013 ZELLNER AWARD COMPETITION – Deadline: March 31
ROGER HERRIOT AWARD – Deadline: April 1
WRAY JACKSON SMITH SCHOLARSHIP– Deadline: April 1
JEANNE E. GRIFFITH MENTORING AWARD – Deadline: April 5
JANET L. NORWOOD AWARD – Deadline: June 28
Feedback, comments, or suggestions are welcome please email asamail@amstat.org with your ideas.