Warm greetings to you all! I recently joined the ASA as a program coordinator for awards and elections. I am thrilled to be part of the ASA; it is such a happy environment with proficient, efficient, friendly, and helpful colleagues. I am grateful for the privilege of being part of this robust team, working hard to advance the practice and profession of statistics.

Ntiranyuhura

I was born in a tiny beautiful country in East Africa called Burundi. I have a master’s degree in international economics and finance from Brandeis University. Prior to joining the ASA, my work experiences were mainly related to promoting economic growth and reducing poverty, particularly in Kenya, but also in other countries in East Africa—Burundi included.

I am a super fan of statistics; I like the cogency it adds to analyses. I am impressed by how knowledge in statistics provides you with the necessary tools and conceptual foundations in quantitative reasoning to extract information intelligently from a sea of data.

In Africa, statistics is needed to literally count down poverty. Africa is slow to fully capitalize on the potential of statistics; the use and analyses of data are a huge challenge. But the ‘little’ investment in statistical capabilities and integrating analytics into decisions and processes are playing a critical role in the effectiveness of specific projects achieving development goals and improving the design of development programs. They also are contributing to a broader understanding of development effectiveness. It is really helping deliver insights that can power innovation for African businesses and boost job creation and strengthen African economies.

The field of statistics is growing in acceptance and importance. I have great respect for the statisticians’ community and am grateful for all you are doing to make this world a better place!

I love cooking and decorating. I enjoy singing a lot (I am in the church choir). I have a great interest in learning foreign languages—I speak six so far and intend to learn Chinese. I really love traveling; the gift of travel changed my perspective on everything. From Burundi, a tiny country with the lowest GDP per capita of any nation, to the USA, such a big and diversified country with the biggest GDP per capita in the world, traveling has allowed me to be a better person. It has particularly taught me to live in the moment. It expanded my mind and allowed me to easily adapt to new situations. I like waking up with a smile and keeping it all day, because I believe every day is such a great gift to be grateful for.