Jim Berger, SAMSI Director, and Jamie Nunnelly, SAMSI Communications Director

The Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute (SAMSI) is operating two research programs this year with a record number of participants. The Stochastic Dynamics and Space-Time Analysis for Environmental Mapping, Epidemiology, and Climate Change programs are well under way. Fourteen research working groups meet each week, along with many workshops and classes.

SAMSI’s 2010–2011 programs also are expected to be popular. The Analysis of Object Data program generalizes functional data analysis to the more general concept of objects as data points. Examples include images, shapes of objects in 3D, points on a manifold, tree-structured objects, and various types of movies. Program leaders include Hans-Georg Müller, Jane-Ling Wang, Ian Dryden, and Jim Ramsay, with local coordinator Steve Marron.

The Complex Networks program will focus on the emerging area of network science, a highly interdisciplinary field characterized by interactions at the interface of applied mathematics, statistics, computer science, and statistical physics, as well as those areas with network-oriented thrusts in biology, computer networks, engineering, and the social sciences. Program leaders include Eric Kolaczyk and Alex Vespignani, with local coordinators Alun Lloyd and Peter Mucha. The scientific advisory committee is comprised of Pierre Degond, Stephen Fienberg, and Martina Morris.

SAMSI also will hold the Summer Program on Semiparametric Bayesian Inference: Applications in Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamic July 12–23, 2010. The program will be led by Gary Rosner and Peter Mueller.

For more information or to apply for one of the programs or workshops associated with them, visit the SAMSI web site and click on “Programs” or “Workshops” at the top of the page.

Education and Outreach

In addition to the undergraduate workshops held in the fall, winter, and spring, SAMSI has a 10-day industrial research program for graduate students in July, which is held in conjunction with the North Carolina State University Center for Research in Scientific Computation.

Many workshop participants stay connected via SAMSI’s social networking outlets: Facebook, Twitter (@NISSSAMSI), and LinkedIn.