ASA Director of Science Policy Steve Pierson along with other ASA executive staff recently chose Daniel Elchert, a PhD student at the University of Iowa, as the ASA’s second science policy fellow. Elchert will work to amplify the ASA’s science policy efforts to raise the profile of statisticians in policymaking and advocate on behalf of the statistics community.
Originally from Minnesota, Elchert will complete his PhD early this month in counseling psychology. His dissertation research applied hierarchical generalized linear models to analyze whether student behaviors predict college enrollment, dedicating special attention to federal policy implications. He previously earned a master’s in educational measurement and statistics, also from the University of Iowa. His undergraduate degree is in psychology from St. Olaf College.
During his graduate training, Elchert has worked as a project manager at the University of Iowa’s Center for Evaluation and Assessment, as a doctoral research assistant at ACT, Inc., and as a policy research assistant at the University of Iowa Public Policy Center. For the final year of his PhD studies and after successfully defending his dissertation in May 2017, he is completing an APA-accredited doctoral internship at Michigan State University.
Elchert was selected from numerous candidates for his background of advocacy with policymakers and his interpersonal, communication, and public speaking skills. While working at the University of Iowa Center for Evaluation and Assessment, he advocated for statistically driven program evaluation services to promote state-level educational programming. Elchert also interacted with state-level policymakers while working at the University of Iowa Public Policy Center and further developed his skills in explaining complex statistical concepts to professionals who lacked training in this area.
Elchert believes statisticians must work for the ethical application of statistical concepts in federal policy. He writes, “Due to their training, statisticians are uniquely positioned to describe how concepts like statistical significance and sampling should and should not be applied in policy. This training compels statisticians to authentically communicate such concepts clearly, concisely, and in a manner that highlights the necessity of competent statistical reasoning as part of policy building.”
The science policy fellow position presents an excellent opportunity for Elchert to advocate this perspective, collaborate with fellow ASA members, and represent the broader statistics community.
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