Three longtime members of the ASA share their thoughts about PStat accreditation. Jeri Mulrow is acting deputy director for the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, a federal statistical agency within the National Science Foundation. Sam Gardner is a senior research scientist at Eli Lilly and Company, but was employed at SAS Institute when he received accreditation. John Bailer is distinguished professor and chair of the department of statistics at Miami University.

Jeri: Before I joined NSF, I worked at Ernst & Young—a large accounting firm—as a statistical consultant. I was often asked if I had credentials other than my degree, such as something like a CPA (certified public accountant), that could provide additional assurances about my statistical work. Because of that, I volunteered to be on the ad hoc and then on the standing committee on accreditation. I applied as part of those efforts. I wanted to be sure the process was reasonable. Now, I feel strongly that this is a major initiative of the ASA.

Sam: For me, the number-one reason was to promote myself and gain recognition for nearly two decades of professional work as a statistician. I also felt the accreditation approach and process was reasonable and I looked forward to getting an external look at my background by my peers.

John: While this was not strictly necessary for my job as a university professor, I decided to apply for PStat accreditation in support of what I believed to be an important initiative of the ASA. In addition, I wanted to go through the process so I could understand it in order to promote this as a future option for current students and staff members who are not in the tenure track. Finally, the reduced fees for participating in continuing education associated with accreditation were an attraction for me.

Jeri: I see three major benefits. The first benefit is to me. It is an honor to be recognized by my peers as an Accredited Professional Statistician. The second is to the profession of statistics. Statistics is a great field and contributes significantly in many important areas. We see it, but do others? I believe accreditation raises the profile of the profession. The third is to the association. ASA is the second-oldest continuously operating professional association in the country, with more than 18,000 members. I see accreditation as a member benefit. It can help attract new members, to draw in or draw back statisticians who are not currently members.

Sam: Some of the accreditation benefits include reduced fees for selected conferences and training, which I appreciate. The PStat reception at JSM was really nice this year, too! For me, personally, the main benefit is that it gives my background and experience a “stamp of approval” that I can use when I work with new customers.

John: Statistics is practiced by individuals from a broad set of disciplines. The PStat accreditation provides a means for the ASA to recognize statistical practitioners who perform at a technical level, who effectively communicate their work, and who have embraced a high ethical standard of practice. An obvious and direct benefit associated with accreditation is the discounted registration fees for conferences such as the Conference on Statistical Practice and discounted fees for short courses and tutorials.

Jeri: The hardest part for me was the cover letter. I was not sure what to include, what format to put it in, or how much detail to provide. I usually keep my résumé up to date, so that was not as much of an issue. It took me a bit of time to pull all the pieces together (such as my transcript, work products, references) and to submit the package. I did it over the course of several weekends.

Sam: The actual process of putting together the PStat application was not very difficult, but it did take some time. The only challenge I felt during the process of building my portfolio was that I had changed employers in the previous five years, and much of what I felt was my “significant” work as a statistician was performed at my previous workplace. I was unable to use any of the work products I had made in my previous employment (due to confidentiality reasons) and could not receive any professional references from my colleagues at my former employer (due to corporate HR policies). Fortunately, I had made several external presentations, led tutorials at software user groups, and even written on statistical topics for a professional society newsletter. All of these helped to fill my portfolio with relevant and contemporary work products.

John: It wasn’t too hard to get the application materials together. The cover letter took time since I needed to frame my work in the context of the accreditation requirements. Since I keep my curriculum vitae current, this component was not a problem. I needed to think about what projects were best illustrative of my work products.

Jeri: If you are thinking of applying, start pulling the pieces together. It might not be so hard. If you are unsure, ask questions of the committee members or a fellow PStat. If you are having trouble getting references, get involved in an ASA committee, section, or chapter. If you are having trouble providing work products, talk to the accreditation committee chair for assistance. Just do it!

Sam: Be involved externally. Give public presentations and tutorials on statistical topics. Serve as a volunteer on an ASA committee with your local section or chair a conference session. Publish and present your work in public forums. There are several examples available at the ASA website that you can read to give you a feel for what is in a typical application.

John: I echo the thoughts of my colleagues—find a way to engage with your statistical colleagues in the ASA. From a more nuts-and-bolts perspective, I have a few suggestions. Keep your résumé/curriculum vitae up to date. Think about your role and contributions to projects. Look at the criteria for PStat accreditation (having advanced statistical training and knowledge, having experience in applying statistical expertise competently, maintaining appropriate professional development, agreeing to abide by ethical standards of practice, and being able to communicate effectively) and begin to note how you satisfy these criteria. I recommend drafting a document where you list out the criteria as sections and you begin to populate these sections with ideas. With all of this in place, you will have the raw materials for completing your accreditation application.