The ASA Committee on Applied Statisticians gives you the experiences of four statisticians who took different paths after their master’s degrees. This month, Erin Twomey-Wilson explains why she found a master’s degree to be the best fit for her.

The ASA Committee on Applied Statisticians is giving you the experiences of four statisticians who took different paths after their master’s degrees. This month, Allison Florance explains why she found a master’s degree to be right for her.

The ASA Committee on Applied Statisticians gives you the experiences of four statisticians who took different paths after their master’s degrees. This month, Mark Otto discusses the path he took after earning his master’s degree.

In graduate school or after, many of us become statistical Hamlets, asking, “to get a PhD or not to get a PhD?” Unable to pull off an acceptable crossover trial, the ASA Committee on Applied Statisticians gives you the experiences of four statisticians who took different paths after their master’s degrees.

In keeping with our tradition of interviewing leaders from the federal government, we spoke with a West Point professor, Col. Nicholas Clark, who specializes in teaching statistics to military personnel.

Claire Kelling joined the ASA in graduate school and had an invaluable experience at the Women in Statistics and Data Science Conference in 2017, which sparked her association engagement.

Pro bono—literally “for good”—service has become more common in statistics and data science in recent years. Often called “Data for Good,” this growing movement has been embraced by individuals, companies, and professional associations. A number of organizations have sprung up to design and manage statistical volunteering projects, recruiting volunteers and connecting them with projects and organizations that will benefit from analytic support.

Seth T. Lirette, an assistant professor in the department of data science at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, proposes it is time to loosen the reigns on the residential requirement for admission to PhD programs.

Doug Splitstone is a private pilot and a statistician.

Lucy D’Agostino McGowan and Ryan Jarrett are PhD students in the biostatistics department at Vanderbilt University. In their spare time, they are working on building a life-sized replica of Star Wars’ BB-8.