Organized and chaired by Devan V. Mehrotra of Merck Research Laboratories, the ASA Committee on Career Development will sponsor a panel session titled Career Development: Challenges and Opportunities for Statistical Innovation and Impact August 3 from 2–4 p.m. at JSM in Boston.

Some undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty in statistics or related departments, are interested in exploring potential career opportunities outside academia (e.g., industry, government, research organizations). Choosing from an ever-widening menu of non-academic career choices can be daunting. This is also true for experienced statisticians who are in various stages of their statistical careers and contemplating switching jobs and/or application domains. What are the challenges and career opportunities for statisticians in this world of both “small data” and Big Data problems? What types of skill sets or innovation are employers looking for to maximize impact within their organizations?

The goal of this panel discussion is to help address practical questions like these and help session attendees with their career planning and development. All the panelists are rising or established leaders in their respective organizations, with a strong record of interdisciplinary collaboration and a penchant for innovation and mentoring. Their backgrounds and experiences cover a diverse array of statistical applications, which they will describe in their short presentations prior to the panel discussion.