The ASA recently named Sam Behseta the next executive editor of CHANCE magazine.
Behseta is an associate professor in the department of mathematics at California State University in Fullerton and teaches a variety of undergraduate- and graduate-level statistics courses. He will serve as editor from 2011–2013.
Excited when he heard the news, Behseta said he was “honored to be the next executive editor of CHANCE.” He also recalled his first encounter with the magazine when he was an undergraduate, mentioning an article written by George Barnard about R. A. Fisher. “The impression that this short, yet beautifully written piece left on me was strong,” said Behseta. “I still recommend that article to my students whenever I teach an undergraduate-level mathematical statistics course.”
“Behseta is a good choice,” said the ASA’s executive director, Ron Wasserstein. “He has editorial experience and a clear vision to lead CHANCE.”
That vision includes amplifying the magazine’s “role as a pedagogically savvy and technologically friendly forum for the promotion of statistical ideas in the modern era,” said Behseta, who thinks the magazine could benefit from adding a readers’ forum, teachers’ corner, computing corner, and a spot for statistically oriented news and news analysis. Also, Behseta says cleverly exposing CHANCE to online forums such as Facebook will make it possible to build a stronger connection with a younger generation of readers.
Since its creation in 1988, CHANCE has covered such topics as the 1990 census adjustment and redesigned population survey, sports, the environment, DNA evidence in the courts, medical issues—even how to win on “Jeopardy.” The magazine is for anyone who has an interest in the analysis of data, informally highlighting sound statistical practice. It is copublished quarterly by the American Statistical Association and Springer Science + Business Media, LLC.
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