Suzanne Thornton, chair of the ASA’s LGBTQ+ Advocacy Committee, is a member of the Statistical Engineering Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Her interests include statistical computing, the foundations of statistical inference, and the ethical application and development of statistical methods.

The ASA LGBTQ+ Advocacy Committee is hosting a webinar titled “An Interdisciplinary Look at Trans and Gender-Non-Conforming Inclusion in STEM” June 12 at 6 p.m. ET. It will feature Maggie Delano, associate professor of engineering at Swarthmore College; Sara Lipshutz, an assistant professor of biology at Duke University; and Jason Eridani, acting assistant director of the Australian Bureau of Statistics and chair of the Statistical Society of Australia’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity Committee.

The webinar is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Members of the committee also plan to hold their business meeting during the Joint Statistical Meetings, which are taking place in Portland, Oregon, August 3–8. The meeting, which will be held in person and virtually, is open to anyone interested in the committee’s mission. To join remotely, email Suzanne Thornton by August 1 with “Advocacy Committee Business Meeting” in the subject line. View the conference program for the meeting’s time and location.

Additionally, the committee will have a table in the JSM exhibit hall, and members encourage everyone to stop by to meet them and friends, as well as pick up ASA Pride-themed swag.

Also at JSM, the committee will co-host a reception with the Committee on Women in Statistics, Committee on Membership Retention and Recruitment, and ASA book club to allow anyone interested to socialize and network with statisticians and data scientists of varied backgrounds and levels of experience. View the conference program for details.

Learn more and support the committee as it works toward justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in all professions, visit and click the “Join Friends of the Committee” button. Friends of the LGBTQ+ Advocacy Committee are the first to know about events the committee hosts and opportunities for professional service and collaborative projects. They are also invited to join annual open committee meetings.

ASA Pride Scholarship

The 2023 Pride Scholarship winners are Erin Rose Lipman from the University of Washington and Sarah Buckingham from The Ohio State University. Winners for 2024 will be announced during the awards ceremony at the Joint Statistical Meetings, to be held in Portland, Oregon, August 3–8.

The scholarship was established to raise awareness for and support the success of LGBTQ+ statisticians and data scientists and allies. Nominations (including self-nominations) for the 2025 scholarship can be sent via the form by March 31, 2025. To be eligible, the nominee must be enrolled in a statistics or data science graduate program or have completed a statistics or data science degree within five years of the award date. Also, the nominee must identify as an LGBTQ+ person or ally.

The Pride Scholarship is possible because of contributions from ASA members. Make sure to direct your support to the ASA Pride Scholarship. Those who donate during Pride month (June) will be entered into a prize drawing.