Members of the “State of Statistics” panel (from left): Jim Blum (UNC-W), Ashley Kesler (PPD), Joe Ibrahim (UNC-CH), Kristen Foley (EPA), Bob Rodriguez (SAS), and Kirsten Doehler (Elon)

David Banks of Duke University moderated a discussion this past December for the North Carolina Chapter of the ASA. The panel featured Jim Blum, Ashley Kesler, Kristen Foley, Kirsten Doehler, Joe Ibrahim, and Bob Rodriguez.

Nearly 75 statisticians braved the snowy weather to discuss topics such as how to get the most out of your ASA and North Carolina Chapter memberships, career directions, continued education, the mobility and flexibility of statisticians, and the future of statistics.

Questions focused on how to decide between industry and academia, how to best use tools and skills on the job, and what the panelists’ favorite coding activities on a sunny afternoon are—to which the response was, “Never let a data set best a beautiful Saturday afternoon!”