ASA Member News Archive
ASA Member News April 2008
Welcome to the April edition of ASA Member News, the ASA's monthly e-newsletter.
STATbit
Did you know April is Mathematics Awareness Month? Join the American Statistical Association, the American Mathematical Society, the Mathematical Association of America, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics as they celebrate mathematics. The theme for 2008 is Mathematics and Voting.
In Amstat News
In this month’s President’s Column, Peter A. (Tony) Lachenbruch invited Joan Turek of the Committee on Statistics and Disability to share the committee members’ perspectives and goals with the ASA membership.
Upcoming Deadlines
2008 ASA CONFERENCE ON RADIATION AND HEALTH – Vail, Colorado – June 15–18, 2008 – Registration Deadline: May 15, 2008
The 2008 ASA's Conference on Radiation and Health continues a decades-long tradition of bringing together scientists working in the biophysical, biological, biostatistical, and public health aspects of radiation epidemiology in a beautiful and relaxed atmosphere. All speakers are internationally recognized experts in their fields of specialization. The meeting will focus on new directions in radiation research, including recent discoveries in radiobiology, radiation dosimetry, and radiation epidemiology, as well as new statistical approaches to existing data. In addition, the program will highlight the epidemiological and scientific evidence of radiation effects on human health occurring at low dose levels.
ASA & NCHS Research Fellowship Program – Deadline: May 15, 2008
The ASA, in cooperation with the National Center for Health Statistics, created the ASA & NCHS Research Fellowship Program to bridge the gap between academic scholars and government health research programs. Fellows work to solve methodological problems and study analytic issues relevant to NCHS programs, data, and facilities. Applicants should have a recognized research record and considerable expertise in the area of proposed research. For fullest consideration, fellowship applications are due by May 15, 2008.
MATH AWARENESS MONTH VIDEO CONTEST – Deadline: May 15, 2008
What does “Math and Voting” mean to you? Unleash your creativity and show millions. Visit the Math Awareness Month web site at and then create a video—to be hosted on YouTube—using music, humor, and other creative elements to express your feelings about the connection between mathematics and voting. The winner will be awarded with $500.
Events Outlook
UPCOMING CONTINUING EDUCATION WEBINARS
Biopharmaceutical Section Webinar: Toward Unification
Thursday, April 24, noon–2:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Presented by Geert Molenberghs
TSHS Section Webinar: Statistics 105—Real-Life Statistics: Your Chance for Happiness (or Misery)
Tuesday, April 29, 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Presented by Xiao-Li Meng, With Happy Team Members Yves Chretien, Paul Edlefsen, Kari Lock, and Cassandra Wolos
Q&P Section Webinar: Beyond the Factory Floor: Succeeding with Lean Six Sigma Outside of Manufacturing
Wednesday, April 30, noon–2:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Presented by Roger Hoerl
Biopharmaceutical Section Webinar: Assessment of QTc Prolongation in Clinical Drug Development
Thursday, May 22, noon–2:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Presented by Alex Dmitrienko
If you have any questions regarding the ASA’s education webinars, please contact Rick Peterson.
106TH MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL STATISTICS – Washington, DC – May 9, 2008
The Committee on National Statistics of The National Academies presents CASM@25. This seminar celebrates the 25th anniversary of the NSF-funded advanced research seminar. This intense activity brought together survey researchers and cognitive psychologists to brainstorm about how cognitive research insights could enhance the design of survey questionnaires to improve the completeness and accuracy of reporting. A distinguished panel will offer their observations on cognitive survey research—past, present, and future. The panel includes Roger Tourangeau, Gordon Willis, and Fred Conrad. Please RSVP by May 6 to Bridget Edmonds.
NONPARAMETRIC STATISTICS AND MIXTURE MODELS: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE – State College, Pennsylvania – May 23–24, 2008
To mark the 40th anniversary of the Department of Statistics at Penn State and the retirement of Tom Hettmansperger, a conference will be held Friday and Saturday, May 23–24, 2008, on Penn State's University Park campus in State College, Pennsylvania. The conference, themed Nonparametric Statistics and Mixture Models: Past, Present, and Future, will focus on recent themes of Tom's research. A poster session is planned, as well as more than 25 international speakers. A festschrift will be produced in Tom’s honor. The deadline for submitting an abstract to the poster session is April 28.
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN STANDARDS AND THE CLASSROOM Teaching Data Analysis, Probability, and Statistics: A Conference for Pre-K–12 Mathematics Educators – Lawrenceville, New Jersey - June 20, 2008
The ASA/NCTM Joint Committee on Curriculum in Probability and Statistics is sponsoring a one-day conference for Pre-K–12 mathematics educators interested in bridging the gap between national standards and classroom practice in data analysis, probability, and statistics. Participants will gain greater familiarity with the ASA’s Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) Report: A Pre-K-12 Curriculum Framework, and will examine classroom-ready instructional activities that support the teaching and learning of data analysis, probability, and statistics concepts.
SECOND ANNUAL WORKSHOP FOR CHAIRS OR PROGRAMS IN STATISTICS AND BIOSTATISTICS – Denver, Colorado – August 1–2, 2008
The Caucus of Academic Representatives will hold its second annual workshop for chairs of programs in statistics and biostatistics on Friday, August 1, and Saturday, August 2, in Denver, Colorado. The first day will be primarily for new and less experienced chairs, but the second day will be for all chairs.
WRITING WORKSHIP FOR JUNIOR RESEARCHERS – Denver, Colorado – August 3 and 6, 2008
The ASA and NISS will hold a writing workshop for junior researchers in conjunction with the Joint Statistical Meetings in Denver, Colorado. There will be a tutorial on Sunday, August 3, and a follow-up lunch on Wednesday, August 6. There is no cost to attend, but participation is limited.
MEETING WITHIN A MEETING: FREE WORKSHOP FOR K–12 MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHERS – Denver, Colorado – August 4–5, 2008
MWM will occur in conjunction with JSM this summer in Denver for K–12 math and science teachers to enhance K-12 educators’ understanding of statistics and provide interactive activities to strengthen teaching of statistics within the math and science curriculum. Teachers will apply concepts in the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) Report: A Pre-K-12 Curriculum Framework by exploring problems that require them to collect, organize, analyze, and draw conclusions from data. Do you know any K–12 teachers who might be interested in attending MWM? We are especially looking to reach out to K–4 teachers and science teachers.
BEYOND AP STATISTICS WORKSHOP – Denver, Colorado - August 5, 2008
The ASA/NCTM Joint Committee is pleased to sponsor a Beyond AP Statistics workshop at the annual JSM in Denver on August 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Organized by Roxy Peck, the BAPS workshop is offered for AP Statistics teachers and consists of enrichment material just beyond the basic AP syllabus. The cost of the workshop is $50, which covers all materials and lunch.
2008 FDA/INDUSTRY STATISTICS WORKSHOP – Arlington, Virginia –September 15–17, 2008
Registration for the workshop will open June 2. The workshop, with an attendance limit of 650, has sold out prior to the advance registration deadline the past two years.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Statistical events are happening around the country and the globe. View our Upcoming Events Calendar.
@amstat.org
2008 JSM PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
The preliminary JSM program is now available online. View the entire technical program, or search by name, keyword, or sponsor.
Special Opportunities
FREE STATISTICS EDUCATION WEBINARS
Webinars (web-based seminars) about K–12 statistics education topics are now available online. This series was developed as part of the follow-up activities for the ASA Meeting Within a Meeting workshop for math and science teachers at the JSM 07 in Salt Lake City. The Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education (CAUSE) offers free webinars on undergraduate statistics education topics.
ASA/BJS STATISTICAL METHODOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM: SMALL GRANTS FOR ANALYSIS OF DATA FROM BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS
The ASA Committee on Law and Justice Statistics announces a small grant program for the analysis of Bureau of Justice Statistics and other justice-related data. Award preference is given to research using BJS data. This program is designed to encourage the creative and appropriate use of these data to inform substantive and methodological issues. Dissertation research may qualify for these funds, and young investigators are encouraged to apply. Awards are typically in the range of $25,000 to $30,000, although exceptional projects as high as $40,000 will be considered. Proposals must be postmarked or emailed by May 23, 2008.
JUDGES SOUGHT FOR ASA PROJECT COMPETITION
The ASA/NCTM Joint Committee is seeking judges for the ASA project competition. If interested, email Linda Young or call (352) 281-6469.
NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR EDITOR OF THE ASA STATISTICS EDUCATION WEB (STEW)
The ASA invites nominations for the editor of Statistics Education Web, an online bank of peer-reviewed lesson plans for K–12 teachers of math and science. The editor—who will serve from 2009 through 2011, with orientation beginning in 2008—will review lesson plans that showcase the use of statistical methods and ideas in science and mathematics.
2008 TRAVELING SHORT COURSES
The ASA Council of Chapters Traveling Short Course Committee is pleased to announce its 2008 course offerings. Traveling short courses are provided by the ASA to bring low-cost, local courses to chapters that provide workshops for members and help develop programs and outreach.
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