Alan Karr, director of the National Institute of Statistical Sciences (NISS) since 2000, has announced he will leave NISS at the end of August. In September, he will become director of the Center of Excellence for Complex Data Analysis (CoDA) at RTI International.

Informing the board of trustees of his departure, Karr said, “My new position at RTI is a unique opportunity for me to help shape the future of statistics at one of the world’s premier statistical organizations, and I look forward to it with great excitement.

“My twenty-two years at NISS have been immensely challenging and satisfying. What has made the experience truly special [are] the people with whom I have been privileged to work. Among them are several dozen collaborators on NISS projects from academia, government, and industry; more than 75 eager and talented postdoctoral fellows; an extraordinary staff; and more than 200 community leaders who have served on the board of trustees and corporation since I came to NISS in 1992.”

Susan Ellenberg, chair of the NISS board, said, “Speaking for the board, we all have been really impressed with what Alan has been able to accomplish as NISS director. He has been a wonderful partner to the board, a highly effective leader, and a responsible steward of NISS. We wish him the best in his new role at RTI.”

Ellenberg has appointed a committee to search for the new director of NISS co-chaired by outgoing and incoming board vice-chairs Roger Hoerl and Bob Rodriguez; the other members are Daniel Solomon, Jessica Utts, and Karr.