Waksberg Award
The journal Survey Methodology established an annual invited paper series in honor of Joe Waksberg to recognize his contributions to survey methodology. Each year, a prominent survey statistician is chosen to write a paper that reviews the development and current state of an important topic in the field of survey methodology.
The recipient of the award will receive an honorarium and give the 2012 Waksberg invited address at the Statistics Canada Symposium. Also, the paper will be published in a future issue of Survey Methodology.
Nominations or suggestions for topics should be sent before February 28, 2011, to Elizabeth Martin, committee chair, at Betsy@folhc.org.
Julius Shiskin Award
Nominations are invited for the annual Julius Shiskin Memorial Award for Economic Statistics, given in recognition of original and important contributions to the development of economic statistics or the use of statistics in interpreting the economy.
Nominations for the 2011 award can be submitted for individuals and groups in the public or private sector from any country. The winner will receive $1,000 and recognition from the award’s sponsors: Washington Statistical Society, National Association for Business Economics, and the ASA Business and Economics Statistics Section. A nomination form and list of previous recipients are available at the ASA website. Completed nominations must be received by March 15, 2011.
For more information, contact Steven Paben, Julius Shiskin Award Committee secretary, at paben.steven@bls.gov or (202) 691-6147.
Who Was Julius Shiskin?
Statisticians and economists often ask who Julius Shiskin was. At the time of his death, in 1978, Shiskin was the commissioner for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Earlier, he served as chief statistician at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and chief economic statistician and assistant director of the U.S. Census Bureau. Throughout his career, he was known as an innovator.
At the Census Bureau, Shiskin was instrumental in developing an electronic computer method for seasonal adjustment. In 1961, he published Signals of Recession and Recovery, which laid the groundwork for calculating monthly economic indicators. He also developed the monthly report Business Conditions Digest to disseminate the indicators to the public.
In 1969, Shiskin was appointed chief statistician at OMB, where he developed the policies and procedures that govern the release of key economic indicators (Statistical Policy Directive Number 3) and originated a social indicators report. In 1973, he was selected to head BLS, where he was instrumental in preserving the integrity and independence of the BLS labor force data and directed the most comprehensive revision in the history of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which included a new CPI for all urban consumers.
Mahalanobis International Award in Statistics
The Indian Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation will continue its biennial initiative in 2011 by awarding the Mahalanobis International Award in Statistics in memory of P. C. Mahalanobis.
The award will be given to a statistician from a developing country (as defined by the United Nations) in recognition of his/her lifetime achievements in statistics and the promotion of best statistical practices.
The 2011 award will be presented at the 58th ISI World Statistics Congress in Dublin, Ireland, and consist of an economy class round-trip ticket to the congress, a per diem for accommodation and other living expenses while in Dublin, and $5,000.
Send proposals for candidates and reasons for supporting the candidate with his or her CV. Candidates may nominate themselves for the award, accompanied by two references. Organizations, academic institutions, national statistical offices, and national statistical societies also may nominate candidates.
Send proposals with supporting documents to Shabani Mehta at s.mehta@cbs.nl before January 10, 2011.
Mahalanobis’s Career Highlights
P. C. Mahalanobis’s contribution to statistics is varied. He held the position of statistical adviser to the government of India and was a member of the planning commission, in addition to many other distinguished appointments. The formulation of the D²-Statistics, derivation of its properties, and its application are some of his most profound contributions.
Mahalanobis received the Weldon Medal from Oxford University in 1944 and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society, London, in 1945 for his fundamental contributions to statistics, particularly in the area of large-scale sample surveys. As chair of the United Nations Sub-Commission on Statistical Sampling, a position to which he was appointed in 1947, he tirelessly advocated for the use of sampling methods to be extended to all parts of the world.
Mahalanobis also helped spread robust and useful statistical ideas to other countries as chair of the UN Statistical Commission. As a pioneer to government planning, his background—including a number of initiatives in decentralized planning—is meritorious. He was responsible for setting up the National Sample Survey and entrusted with key responsibilities for the design, collection, and analysis of sample survey data.
Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award
It’s time to start thinking about nominating an outstanding supervisor, technical director, team coordinator, or other member of a governmental statistical staff who encourages mentoring of junior staff in the federal, state, or local statistical system for the 2011 Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award. Nominations must be submitted by March 25, 2011.
Nominations for 2011 will be accepted beginning in January 2011, and the award committee will make its choice by April 22, 2011. The award will consist of a $1,000 honorarium (to be split if there is more than one awardee), a citation, and a plaque, which will be presented at a ceremony arranged by the cosponsors in June 2011.
The winning mentor(s) will be selected for his or her efforts to support the work and develop the careers of junior staff. Examples of typical mentoring activities include the following:
- Advising junior staff about creating career opportunities, learning networking skills, and making contacts for growth and development
- Counseling junior staff and providing resources to help develop their technical writing, analysis, presentation, and organizational skills and knowledge
- Encouraging junior staff growth and career development through attendance at training courses and conferences, participation in professional associations, and oral presentations at meetings with higher-level officials and staff from other agencies
- Motivating junior staff and building self-confidence through feedback on their efforts, being a listener when that is needed, and creating a caring and supportive environment
- Serving as a role model for junior staff through professional expertise, information, and insight; balancing collegial and personal roles; and including everyone across rank, race, ethnicity, and seniority
Nominations should be prepared as a letter or memorandum that summarizes the nominee’s support and encouragement of junior staff. Nominations may be accompanied by up to six supporting letters, which should be attached to and submitted with the nomination. Photo and email copies of support letters are acceptable.
For more information, visit the ASA website. Questions may be addressed to Rick Peterson at rick@amstat.org and (703) 684-1221 or Carol House at housca@gmail.com and (703) 989-1334.
The nomination package may be mailed or emailed to the Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award Committee, c/o The American Statistical Association, 732 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1943; rick@amstat.org.
Contact Stephanie Shipp at sshipp@ida.org if you would like to contribute to the award.
Ellis R. Ott Scholarship
The Statistics Division of the American Society for Quality announces the availability of $5,000 scholarships to support students enrolled in or accepted into a master’s degree or higher program with a concentration in applied statistics and/or quality management. The emphasis is on applications, as opposed to theory, and studies must take place at North-American institutions.
Qualified applicants must have graduated in good academic standing in any field of undergraduate study. Scholarship awards are based on demonstrated ability, academic achievement, industrial and teaching experience, involvement in student or professional organizations, faculty recommendations, and career objectives.
Application instructions and forms should be downloaded from the website. Forms will be accepted between January 1 and April 1, 2011.
For more information, contact Lynne B. Hare at lynne.hare@comcast.net or 55 Buckskin Path, Plymouth, MA 02360.
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