William Brenneman, 2016 Section Chair

I am pleased to be able to serve as the 2016 chair of the Quality and Productivity (Q&P) Section. Q&P has focused on how the development, teaching, and application of statistical tools and thinking can improve quality and productivity. We will continue this focus—along with the tradition Q&P has regarding conference leadership and planning, scholarships and awards, connecting members through news communications and the ASA Community, and webinars on topics of interest to the members—and infuse the leadership with diverse backgrounds.

Quality and productivity has been and always will be a crucial aspect of successful enterprises, and statistics plays a major role in that success.

Q&P will support the following three main conferences this year:

2016 Quality and Productivity Research Conference

QPRC will be held in Tempe, Arizona, June 14–16, with a short course offered on June 13. The theme of this year’s conference is “Integrating Quality and Statistics: A Transformative Alliance.” The goal is to stimulate interdisciplinary research among statisticians, scientists, and engineers in quality and productivity, industrial needs, and the physical and engineering sciences. Statistical issues and research approaches drawn from collaborative research will be highlighted.

We invite you to contribute a talk or poster presentation. To submit a contributed paper or poster, submit title, authors, and a short abstract (single page only) to Connie Borror at conni@asu.edu by March 1. Also, indicate your preference for a talk or poster presentation.

In conjunction with the QPRC, the Mary G. and Joseph Natrella scholarship offers a $3,500 grant and $500 travel stipend to students pursuing full-time graduate work with demonstrated interest in quality and statistics. For more information, visit the scholarship website.

For further information and conference updates, visit the conference website.

2016 Joint Statistical Meetings

The 2016 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) will be held from July 30 to August 4 in Chicago, Illinois. The theme of this year’s conference is “The Extraordinary Power of Statistics.” JSM is one of the largest statistical events held, with more than 6,000 attendees expected this year.

Q&P will sponsor two invited sessions, titled “The Extraordinary Power of Designed Experiments” and “Powerful Experimental generic ativan 2mg Designs for Non-Gaussian Responses.” These sessions will feature prominent speakers, and Q&P members are encouraged to attend.

There are numerous ways to present your work at JSM, including topic-contributed and contributed sessions, roundtable discussions, and more. Visit the JSM 2016 website for details.

Q&P will offer up to three travel awards of $400 each for students enrolled in a graduate program with a concentration in applied statistics and/or quality management to attend JSM. Student applicants must show a demonstrated interest in quality applications, as evidenced by course work, research topic, or prior work experience. Applicants either presenting a paper or participating in a poster session will receive extra consideration. Applications will be accepted through February 1. Complete information about the award and how to apply is posted at the Q&P website.

As we get closer to JSM, stay tuned for more information about other Q&P events, including the SPES/Q&P mixer. See you in Chicago!

2016 Fall Technical Conference

The 60th Fall Technical Conference (FTC) will be held on October 6–7 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The theme of this year’s conference is “Statistics & Quality: Twin Pillars of Excellence.” The goal is to engage researchers and practitioners in a dialogue that leads to more effective use of statistics to improve quality and foster innovation.

If you are interested in presenting an applied or expository paper in any of the categories of statistics, quality, experimental design, or tutorial/case studies, contact any committee member listed on the call for papers on the website. Work should be strongly justified by application to a problem in engineering, manufacturing, Big Data, process/chemical industry, physical sciences, or a service industry. The program committee welcomes any suggestions for special session topics or speakers. The deadline for abstract submission is February 26.

Finally, these conferences and all the activities and benefits Q&P provides could not be completed without the help of volunteers. I give a big thank you to all who served in 2015 and all who will serve in 2016. If you would like to volunteer, send me an email at brenneman.wa@pg.com. I would love to hear from you!