Sylvia Dohrmann, CSP Steering Committee Chair

Attendees at the Conference on Statistical Practice mingle during a refreshment break and poster session February 20 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Even better the second time around! The Conference on Statistical Practice (CSP) was back in New Orleans this year February 19–21 at the Sheraton New Orleans. More than 400 attendees and participants enjoyed short courses, oral sessions, poster sessions, tutorials, practical computing demonstrations, and the keynote address provided by 2015 ASA President David R. Morganstein. (See the President’s Corner for more about David’s keynote and his experience at the conference.)

Jaime Lynn Speiser, a biostatistics student at the Medical University of South Carolina and the 2015 recipient of the Lester R. Curtin Award, sits with ASA President David Morganstein during the keynote address at the Conference on Statistical Practice February 20 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

CSP continues to grow each year, highlighting the importance for a conference dedicated to serving the needs of statistical practitioners by providing a forum to learn, share, and discuss statistical techniques, innovations, and best practices. Still, the small size allows for a more personal environment, making it easier for attendees to participate in discussion during the sessions and courses and connect with each other during the scheduled break times. By design, the CSP conference space is generally one common area in which the exhibitor booths, opening mixer, poster sessions, continental breakfasts, and breaks are shared. Every year, we receive comments regarding the advantages of the unique set-up and small size that allow for enhanced networking.

One of the most popular themes continues to be “Communication, Impact, and Career Development,” which was also highlighted in the keynote address. The courses and sessions in this theme provide participants with tools that can be used to enhance communication with colleagues and customers, have a positive impact on their organization, and develop leadership skills.

As part of this theme, the CSP Mentoring Program continues to be a success. Developed by the Committee on Applied Statisticians, the program establishes 1:1 mentoring relationships to help provide an opportunity to enhance personal and professional development goals. The program was limited to 40 participants and filled quickly.

New this year was the Collaboration Corner, where conference attendees casually met and discussed topics in small groups. Tables set in the corner of the exhibit hall provided a semi-private and accessible place for participants to meet. The Collaboration Corner enhanced opportunities for social interaction, engagement, and networking among conference attendees.

Also new this year was the recognition of outstanding student posters. The CSP 2015 Best Student Poster Award went to Emiliana Inez Patlan of SolarWinds for “Predicting Buying Behavior: IT Software Customer Clustering with R and Weka.” The runners-up were David Kline of The Ohio State University for “Multiple Imputation for Missing Data in Longitudinal Research Synthesis: Identifying and Overcoming Assumptions in Software” and Patricia Rodríguez de Gil of the University of South Florida for “An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of Measurement Error on Propensity Score Analysis.”

Look for all this and more in sunny San Diego, California, which will host CSP 2016.