The ASA announces the selection of candidates for the 2012 election. The winning candidates’ terms will begin in 2013. Make sure to look for your ballots in your email inbox and to vote early. Voting begins at midnight EDT on March 15 and ends at 11:59 p.m. PDT on May 3.

Complete candidate biographies can be read here.

President-elect

Nathaniel Schenker

Associate Director for Research and Methodology, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The ASA, as the largest community of statisticians in the world, and with its efforts to support the development, application, and dissemination of statistical science, is a key organization in our field. I have been involved in a wide variety of activities to serve the ASA (recently as vice president), and it was a highlight of my career to receive the Founders Award for distinguished service in 2011. Moreover, the ASA has given me the opportunity to meet, make friends with, and work with hundreds of wonderful colleagues. Therefore, I feel honored and excited to be a candidate for ASA President, and it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be president in 2014, as we celebrate our association’s 175th anniversary.

Each ASA president pursues initiatives in line with the association’s strategic plan during his/her presidential year. See, for example, President Bob Rodriguez’s column in the January 2012 issue of Amstat News. If elected, I would look forward to receiving input from the ASA’s leadership, sub-groups, and members as I plan my initiatives. Some areas of current focus for me are outlined below.

Emphasize value for ASA members
The ASA must offer services and opportunities that make people want to be members, which will help keep the association and our profession strong. This was my foremost guiding principle while serving two terms on the ASA Board, during which the ASA introduced many benefits (e.g., new publications, online access to publications for all members, a new conference, and optional accreditation). We must keep working on how to best provide value to our members while keeping membership affordable, with particular consideration to people who are early in their careers and those who became statisticians through nontraditional, interdisciplinary paths, for whom the benefits of ASA membership might not be obvious.

Improve JSM and develop other conferences and mechanisms for interaction
Meetings are a particular passion of mine. For example, I was the program chair for JSM 2002 and introduced late-breaking sessions, and I chaired the meetings workgroup that proposed the Conference on Statistical Practice. JSM is a wonderful conference, whose large size is a plus. However, we must consider how to improve JSM, such as by enhancing poster sessions, organizing submeetings and satellite meetings, modifying formats, and developing opportunities for small gatherings. We also must nurture smaller, more focused conferences and consider how to use technology to facilitate access to conferences and enhance the ability of statisticians to interact.

Maintain the ASA’s tradition of high-quality publications while continuing to introduce innovations
Publications are another area of experience and interest for me. For example, I was an associate editor for JASA (both Theory and Methods and Applications and Case Studies) and a member of the Electronic Journals Task Force. The ASA maintains an excellent portfolio of journals and other publications, which helps to heighten the status of the association and benefits the profession. We must consider carefully whether and how our portfolio of publications might be changed and what new formats and technology can be used to improve access and functionality.

Publicize the importance of statistics to society
Such publicity, both external and internal, enhances our profession’s standing and encourages statisticians to work toward the betterment of society. We must develop ideas and venues for publicizing achievements in statistics, the application of statistics to important problems, and the fine work of members of our profession.

I would welcome the opportunity to serve as ASA president. Although I have worked in government for several years, I have also worked in academia and industry, and I would lead with sensitivity to the needs of the different components of our membership. Thank you for your consideration. Best wishes to all of the candidates, and please remember to vote!

President-elect

Stephanie Shipp

Research Staff Member, (Institute for Defense Analyses) IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute

As ASA president, my top priority would be to ensure that the ASA and the statistics profession is the acknowledged navigator, leader, and intellectual gatekeeper of the “Big Data Revolution.” This revolution presents us with an unparalleled opportunity that must not be lost. Our discipline is unique in having a sound grounding in the art and science of extracting information from the tsunami of data that is being created from all aspects of our lives.

Data captured from social networks, business transactions, health care systems, biology, geospatial systems, and particle physics will shape the nation’s economic competitiveness and scientific dominance. These data must be analyzed accurately, efficiently, and meaningfully—making knowledge of statistical principles paramount.

The ASA president must strive to drive this message home to the public, media, business, industry, and government. My agenda, if elected ASA president, is to work toward this goal and ensure the ASA leads the data revolution.

My career has spanned multiple, data-intensive government agencies, the private sector, and positions advising international organizations. Currently, at the IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute, I provide a statistical and economic perspective as we assist our sponsors. These sponsors include the Office of Science and Technology Policy (the White House Science Advisors) and other federal agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Throughout my career, I have showcased the importance of statistical analyses, worked to improve access to data, helped to create new data infrastructures, and mentored younger statisticians.

As ASA president, I would continue the ASA’s tradition of embracing the collaboration of multiple disciplines and lead the ASA in three areas directly related to the ASA’s strategic plan.

1. Lead in the development and use of large data systems
My goal is for the ASA and statisticians to lead in the design and use of large data systems, from compilations of electronic medical records to data collected for national security. My vision is that the ASA will guide the development of an infrastructure (including improved cyberinfrastructure) to move the big data revolution forward. We need to create the new statistical tools and approaches to access, use, and protect these data.

2. Make statisticians integral to public policy decisions
The ASA’s visits to Capitol Hill and policy briefs have increased the visibility of statisticians. We can also advocate for a statistical adviser to the president, similar to the president’s science adviser; forge stronger relationships with international statistical organizations such as the International Statistical Institute; and establish linkages with nonstatistical agencies that use large data, such as defense agencies.

3. Train the next generation of statisticians and develop statistical talent in all professions
As the nation seeks to increase graduates in science and mathematics, we need to interest those who have the potential to become statisticians, starting at the early years of their education. I have a long history of recruiting and mentoring younger statisticians and will take pride in leading ASA initiatives in this area.

In addition, the ASA has an opportunity to create a data- and statistics-savvy population. If we are serious about the statistical literacy of the country (including policymakers), we must fashion statistics as the anchor training credential across all disciplines. We need to advocate for bringing data to the general public via data visualization and other media to bridge the statistical literacy divide.

As the ASA embarks on its future, we must ensure that the nation’s citizens, especially our political and business leaders, recognize the important role the ASA plays in driving solutions for critical societal challenges. With a government career spanning several well-known and respected government agencies, I have the experience and desire to lead our big data challenges and promote the ASA as a leader in this arena.

The ASA has been my professional home since joining 25 years ago. I’ve had the opportunity to serve the ASA in many capacities on various committees, programs, and sections. I am honored to ask for your vote for ASA president as we make the 21st century the Century of Statisticians.

Vice President

Roxy Peck

Professor of Statistics, Emerita, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

This is a wonderful time to be a statistician, and an exciting time for the ASA, as we prepare for our 175th anniversary and look to the future. I feel privileged to have been asked to be a candidate in the upcoming ASA election, and I am enthusiastic about the prospect of serving the ASA as a vice president.

Over the years, ASA has played a major role in my development as a statistician and educator. I accepted a teaching position at Cal Poly right out of graduate school. San Luis Obispo is a great place to live and work, but it is geographically isolated. Connecting to the ASA through JSM and the ASA’s chapters, sections, and committees allowed me to expand my professional circle of friends and provided me with invaluable opportunities that would not have been available to me otherwise. Taking advantage of these opportunities presented a win-win situation, as I was able to grow and develop professionally and, at the same time, help the association further its goals and objectives.

As an ASA vice president, I would be particularly interested in contributing to the ASA’s “in-reach” programs in ways that would help early career statisticians see all that the association has to offer.

Looking to the future, the ASA will be focusing on serving the profession and its members in new ways that reflect the great diversity of its members. I believe my work in statistics education at both the K–12 and university levels and my administrative experience as statistics department chair and as associate dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at Cal Poly will enable me to serve the association in productive ways as ASA addresses key areas of its strategic plan, including membership growth, education, and public awareness.

As I said at the beginning of this statement, these are exciting times. Over the last few years, we have seen greater recognition of the value of statistics and the contributions of statisticians. A place for statistics and the development of statistical thinking has also been recognized in the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics that have been adopted by more than 40 states, and the K–12 landscape for statistics education is poised to change quickly and dramatically. I would welcome the opportunity to serve the ASA as a vice president and work with the board of directors and ASA staff to continue the good work already in progress and explore emerging new opportunities to promote the field of statistics.

Vice President

James L. Rosenberger

Professor of Statistics, Penn State University, and Director, Outreach and Online Programs, Department of Statistics

The profession of statistics continues to make important contributions to the advancement of science, public policy, business, and industry. As the principal professional society for the promotion of statistics, we need to ensure that we advocate for the appropriate use of the statistical sciences wherever it can make a contribution. Since the beginning of the previous century, statistics has opened the world to understanding complex phenomena and participated in the advancement of science and society in many ways. Our responsibility as members of this profession is to be stewards of our resources, and pursue initiatives in which we can most effectively improve society. We can provide guidance in the production of quantitative information through promotion of ethical standards and integrity in our professional standards. I bring to this position at the ASA my experiences as an academic administrator, serving as department head for 15 years and developing our consulting center for training statisticians. More recently, we developed the professional Master of Applied Statistics graduate program in residence and online to increase the work force supply of trained statisticians to meet the rapidly increasing demands in business and government. During my service at the National Science Foundation as a program director, I was liaison with other disciplines to develop cross disciplinary programs and worked to build the foundation for increased funding of the mathematical sciences through interdisciplinary programs that involved statistical scientists as key partners.

Council of Sections Board Representative

James Grady

Currently directing the biostatistical activities at the University of Connecticut Health Center and new biostatistics center in the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science

I have attended every JSM since 1991, the first few while still in graduate school. I can safely say that had I not been involved with the ASA, my career might be very different. At my first job, my university was fairly remote and being a part of the ASA made me feel connected to a larger group of statisticians. Being involved in the ASA has helped to keep me current, fostered professional and personal friendships with other statisticians, and given me opportunities for leadership. When I went up for tenure and changed universities last year, it was people I met at the ASA who wrote letters. The ASA often feels big, but it offers opportunities within the sections for more intimate pursuits and professional relationships.

My experience as past section chair makes me well suited to represent the sections to the board of directors. My goal as representative would be to foster practices and policies that allow sections to remain independent and encourage a focused and friendly setting for those with a common interest, which we sometimes don’t feel at the ASA and JSM. I will also work with the board to make improvements to JSM in an effort to make it the most rewarding and enjoyable experience possible.

Council of Sections Board Representative

Richard D. De Veaux

Professor, Williams College, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

I am honored to have the opportunity to stand for the Council of Sections Governing Board Representative to the ASA Board of Directors election. I believe the ASA sections are the nucleus of our organization, representing interests within statistics that help serve our ever-diverse and growing membership. I have been fortunate to serve as program chair for the Section on Physical and Engineering Sciences, as a founding officer of SLDM, and as program chair for JSM 2001 in Atlanta. I would work to help communicate the ideas that flow to and from the sections to the board of directors as we strive to serve our membership more effectively.

Council of Chapters Board Representative

Mary J. (Morrissey) Kwasny

Assistant Professor, Northwestern University

The ASA is a wonderful organization, with such diversity in statistical methods and applications. I have been lucky to be part of a very active local chapter, and as a chapter representative to the Council of Chapters, recognize the variety of needs and activities of other chapters. As a Council of Chapters Board Representative, I see the opportunity to learn more about the inner workings of the ASA and share my experiences and ideas about how sections, chapters, and individuals can learn about, and take advantage of, the opportunities the ASA provides.

Council of Chapters Board Representative

Jerry Moreno

Emeritus Assistant Professor, John Carroll University

The ASA chapters are the heart of statistical outreach to professional communities. Although it is more difficult these days because of increasing workplace pressures and demands for members to participate in chapter activities, it is important for chapters to be active. I would encourage and advise them on how to conduct a local poster or project competition, organize a workshop or conference for colleagues (practitioners of statistics and professional statisticians) or teachers (particularly in light of the
impressive amount of statistics in the new Common Core Standards for school mathematics curriculum), take advantage of what the ASA has to offer in professional development such as the traveling course, judge in science fairs, and visit schools to give talks about careers or encourage the offering of non-AP and AP Statistics courses. We need to continue our efforts in statistics outreach, particularly in education, if we ever will be successful in creating a statistically literate citizenry.

ASA 2012 Election Candidates List

Council of Chapters Governing Board (COCGB)

Chair-elect
Ananda Jayawardhana, Pittsburg State University
John Stevens, Utah State University

Vice Chair District 3
Alex Hanlon, University of Pennsylvania
Peter Hovey, University of Dayton

Vice Chair District 4
Kendra Schmid, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Morteza Marzjarani, Saginaw Valley State University

Council of Sections Governing Board (COSGB)

Chair-elect
John Czajka, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
Cynthia Long, Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research

Vice Chair
Stephen Cohen, National Science Foundation
Thomas Short, John Carroll University

Section on Bayesian Statistical Sciences (SBSS)

Chair-elect
Raquel Prado, University of California at Santa Cruz
Brad Carlin, University of Minnesota

Program Chair-elect
Keying Ye, The University of Texas at San Antonio and The University of Texas Health Science Center
Sudipto Banerjee, University of Minnesota

Council of Sections Representative
Susan Paddock, Rand Corporation
Carlos Carvalho, The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business

Biometrics Section (BIOM)

Chair-elect
Michael Daniels, University of Florida
Amita Manatunga, Emory

Secretary/Treasurer
Yu Shen, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Mariza de Andrade, Mayo Clinic

Council of Sections Representative
Yan Li, The University of Texas at Arlington
Limin (Lin) Clegg, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Biopharmaceutical Section (BIOP)

Chair-elect
M. Matilde Sanchez, Arena Pharmaceuticals
Mani Lakshminarayanan, Merck & Co, Inc.

Program Chair-elect
Heather Thomas, Watson Labs
Ivan Chan, Merck & Co., Inc.

Publications Officer
Yongming Qu, Eli Lilly and Company
Venkat Sethuraman, Novartis Oncology

Council of Sections Representative
Veronica Taylor, HHS/FDA/CVM
Jeff Maca, Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Business and Economic Statistics Section (B&E)

Chair-elect
James Spletzer, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Carol Corrado, The Conference Board

Program Chair-elect
Alexander Aue, University of California at Davis
Kevin L. McKinney, U.S. Census Bureau

Secretary/Treasurer
Cindy Yu, Iowa State University
Michael Levine, Purdue University

Council of Sections Representative
Katherine Bennett Ensor, Rice University
Roxy Cramer, Rogue Wave Software, Inc.

Section on Statistical Computing (COMP)

Chair-elect
Wolfgang Jank, University of South Florida
Michael Minnotte, University of North Dakota

Program Chair-elect
Guilherme V. Rocha, Indiana University
Nicholas Lewin-Koh, Genentech

Section on Statistical Consulting (CNSL)

Chair-elect
Rick Ittenbach, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and University of Cincinnati
Walter Ambrosius, Wake Forest School of Medicine

Publications Officer
Christopher Swearingen, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Chris Barker, Pharmaceutical Consultant

Council of Sections Representative
Bin Huang, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and University of Cincinnati
Stuart Gansky, University of California at San Francisco

Executive Committee At Large
Christopher Holloman, The Ohio State University
Charles Davis, CSD Biostatistics, Inc.

Section on Statistical Education (EDUC)

Chair-elect
Jim Albert, Bowling Green State University
William Notz, The Ohio State University

Secretary/Treasurer
Neal Rogness, Grand Valley State University
Dexter Whittinghill, Rowan University

Executive Committee At Large
Andy Zieffler, University of Minnesota
Brigitte Baldi, University of California at Irvine
David Diez, OpenIntro and Harvard University
Herle McGowan, North Carolina State University

Section on Statistics and the Environment (ENVR)

Chair-elect
Alix Gitelman, Oregan State University
Joel Reynolds, Western Alaska Landscape Conservation Cooperative

Program Chair-elect
Mevin Hooten, Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University
Brian Reich, North Carolina State University

Treasurer
Brian Gray, U.S. Geological Survey
Bo Li, Purdue University

Section on Statistics in Epidemiology (EPI)

Chair-elect
Eva Petkova, New York University
John Neuhaus, University of California at San Francisco

Program Chair-elect
Patrick Carmack, University of Central Arkansas
Madhu Mazumdar, Weill Cornell Medical College

Secretary/Treasurer
Emilia Bagiella, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine
Susan Shortreed, Group Health Research Institute

Section on Government Statistics (GOVT)

Chair-elect
Jill Montaquila, Westat and JPSM, University of Maryland
Promod Chandhok, Bureau of Transportation Statistics and The George Washington University

Program Chair-elect
Virginia Chanley, GAO
Grace O’Neil, Energy Information Administration

Secretary/Treasurer
Kevin Cecco, Internal Revenue Service
Jenny Guarino, USDOT/RITA Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Publications Officer
Nancy Bates, U.S. Census Bureau
Wendy Martinez, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Council of Sections Representative
Ken Copeland, NORC at the University of Chicago
Brian Meekins, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Section on Statistical Graphics (GRPH)

Chair-elect
Rick Wicklin, SAS Institute Inc.
Hadley Wickham, Rice University

Program Chair-elect
Michael Kane, Yale University
Matt Shotwell, Vanderbilt University

Secretary/Treasurer
Anushka Anand, University of Illinois at Chicago
Kenneth Shirley, AT&T Labs – Research

Council of Sections Representative
Yihui Xie, Iowa State University
Mario Morales, Simulmedia Inc. and Stanford University

Health Policy Statistics Section (HPSS)

Chair-elect
Marc Elliott, Rand Corporation
Matthew Rotelli, Eli Lilly and Company

Section on Statistics in Marketing (MKTG)

Chair-elect
Dirk van den Poel, Universiteit Gent
Marianna Dizik, Google

Program Chair-elect
Blake McShane, Northwestern University
Lynd Bacon, Loma Buena Associates

Publications Officer
Andres Musalem, Duke University
Joseph Retzer, MarketTools, Inc.

Section on Physical and Engineering Sciences (SPES)

Chair-elect
Sarah Kalicin, Intel
Elizabeth Schiferl, The Lubrizol Corporation

Program Chair-elect
Cheryl Dingus, Battelle Memorial Institute
James G. Wendelberger, Urban Science Applications, Inc.

Council of Sections Representative
Peter Hovey, University of Dayton
Philip R. Scinto, The Lubrizol Corporation

Section on Quality and Productivity (Q&P)

Chair-elect
Di Michelson, SAS Institute Inc.
Marcus Perry, University of Alabama

Program Chair-elect
Abdel-Salam G. Abdel-Salam, J.P. Morgan Chase & Company
Ming Li, General Electric Global Research
Tony (Hon Keung) Ng, Southern Methodist University

Council of Sections Representative
Martha Gardner, General Electric Global Research
Alix Robertson, Sandia National Labs

Section on Risk Analysis (RISK)

Chair-elect
Robert L. (Bob) Obenchain, Risk Benefit Statistics LLC
Edsel Pena, University of South Carolina

Program Chair-elect
Bonnie Ray, IBM Watson Research Center
Stanley Young, National Institute for Statistical Sciences

Social Statistics Section (SOC)

Chair-elect
Nancy A. Clusen, Mathematica Policy Research
Robert L. Santos, The Urban Institute

Program Chair-elect
Christa D. Jones, U.S. Census Bureau
Michael Sinclair, NORC at the University of Chicago

Publications Officer
Nick Beyler, Mathematica Policy Research
Mark Mather, Population Reference Bureau

Council of Sections Representative
Warren A. Brown, Cornell University
Marilyn M. Seastrom, National Center for Education Statistics

Section on Statistics in Sports (SIS)

Chair-elect
Perry Choi, Dotblu Inc. and United States Yongmudo Association
Joseph Hilbe, Arizona State University

Program Chair-elect
Mark Glickman, Boston University
Mitch Watnik, California State University East Bay

Survey Research Methods Section (SRMS)

Chair-elect
Michael Elliott, University of Michigan
Phillip S. Kott, RTI International

Program Chair-elect
Karol Krotki, RTI International
Brady T. West, University of Michigan

Treasurer
Jill A. Dever, RTI International
David L. Hubble, Westat

Publications Officer
Young Chun, U.S. Census Bureau
John Finamore, National Science Foundation

Council of Sections Representative
Trent. D. Buskirk, The Nielsen Company
Jeffrey Gonzalez, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Education Officer
Meena Khare, CDC/National Center for Health Statistics
Marilyn Seastrom, National Center for Education Statistics

Teaching Statistics in the Health Sciences Section (TSHS)

Chair-elect
Chul Ahn, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Constantine Daskalakis, Thomas Jefferson University

Council of Sections Representative
Jodi Lapidus, Oregon Health & Science University
Mary J. (Morrissey) Kwasny, Northwestern University

Section on Nonparametric Statistics (NPAR)

Chair-elect
David Ruppert, Cornell University
Young Truong, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Program Chair-elect
Runze Li, Pennsylvania State University
Mary C. Meyer, Colorado State University

Treasurer
Moulinath Banerjee, University of Michigan
Ana-Maria Staicu, North Carolina State University

Council of Sections Representative
Richard Samworth, University of Cambridge
David Dunson, Duke University

Statistics in Defense and National Security Section (SDNS)

Chair-elect
Michael Cohen, Committee on National Statistics, National Research Council
Jeffrey L. Solka, Naval Surface Warfare Center

Program Chair-elect
Laura Freeman, IDA
George Michailidis, University of Michigan

Secretary/Treasurer
Michael D. Porter, GeoEye Analytics
Lara Schmid, The RAND Corporation

Publications Officer
Shuguang Song, The Boeing Company
Michael Last

Council of Sections Representative
Alyson Wilson, IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute
Joseph D. Warfield, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Section for Statistical Programmers and Analysts (SSPA)

Chair-elect
Vipin Arora, Abbott Laboratories
Vikash Jain, eClinical Solutions

Program Chair-elect
Mario Morales, Simulmedia Inc. and Stanford University
Li Zheng, Genentech Inc.

Council of Sections Representative
Natalie Cheung Hall, Eli Lilly and Company
Mario Widel, Roche Molecular Systems

Section on Statistical Learning and Data Mining (SLDM)

Chair-elect
Bertrand Clarke, University of Miami
Xiaotong Shen, University of Minnesota

Program Chair-elect
Deepak Agarwal, Yahoo Research
Howard Bondell, North Carolina State University

Section on Statistics in Imaging (SI)

Chair-elect
Timothy D. Johnson, University of Michigan
Raymond Hoffmann, Medical College of Wisconsin

Program Chair-elect
Todd Ogden, Columbia University
Martin Lindquist, Columbia University
Bin Nan, University of Michigan