The Statistics2013 video contest winners have been chosen, with high-schooler Jason T. Girouard taking home the top prize for Best Overall Video.

The Joint Statistical Meetings provide a unique opportunity for members of our profession to come together each year and share their scientific ideas. This year’s JSM is special, with the theme being “Celebrating the International Year of Statistics.” Members of the JSM program committee have put together an outstanding program consisting of 183 invited, 196 topic-contributed, and 230 contributed sessions. Bhramar Mukherjee, JSM 2013 Program Chair, discusses some of the new initiatives and highlights on tap for this year.

The ASA has conducted a “satisfaction survey” of presenters after each JSM for several years. The survey includes questions adapted for the various roles and focuses on the satisfaction of the speaker behind the lectern or the presenter in front of the poster. This survey has been conducted unchanged over the last three years, covering the JSMs in Vancouver (2010), Miami Beach (2011), and San Diego (2012). This gives us a unique opportunity to evaluate results over a longer period and, in particular, look for changes over time.

The ASA announces the selection of candidates for the 2013 election. The winning candidates’ terms will begin in 2014. Make sure to look for your ballots in your email inbox and to vote early.

ASA members have again set new marks for generosity in financial support of their association. More than 700 members contributed a total of nearly $53,000 to the ASA’s Annual Fund Drive during 2012. This is another record, up almost $15,000 (39%) from last year’s record figure.

Statisticians work in a vast array of fields—advancing science; creating new methodology; providing information that shapes public policy; improving business practices and enhancing production quality; making our medicines more effective, our food safer, and our planet better; and so much more. Statisticians come from many cultures, speak many languages, and arrive at statistics as their profession through many paths. But at least one aspect is recognized by virtually every statistician: Our discipline and profession is simply not visible enough.

Here, Ron Wasserstein, ASA executive director, discusses how the International Year of Statistics (Statistics2013) is a major effort to increase the visibility of statistics and encourage young people to consider statistics as a career.

Every year, a list of internship opportunities for students is published in Amstat News. As an intern, you will have the opportunity to hone your skills in a variety of areas. There is something for everyone, from positions at pharmaceutical companies to a summer spent with some of the top companies in the tech industry. Improve your programming skills, make connections, learn how statistics are used in daily life. Interested students will send a letter of inquiry and résumé directly to the contact and locations listed.

ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein recently interviewed Judea Pearl about the Turing Award and Pearl’s interest in promoting the instruction of causal inference.

Steve MacEachern, JSM 2012 program chair, recounts his experience at JSM in San Diego. Following his reflections is a summary of the Presidential Address and Awards Ceremony winners and COPSS honors.

Networking is the practice of making meaningful connections with people, usually one person at a time. Most new opportunities and productive work relationships are made through informal face-to-face contacts based on a few degrees of separation. In this article, Bill Williams, organizational learning consultant, addresses the basics of how to seek and establish useful connections with others and prepare yourself to represent your capabilities, or those of the group in which you work, effectively. Even if you think of yourself as somewhat shy, you’ll see how this can be done with just a little stretch on your part.