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Staff Spotlight: Regina Nuzzo

1 December 2019 1,255 views No Comment
Regina Nuzzo teaches her short course, “Communicating Quantitative Information Is Hard! Strategies for Success,” during this year’s Women in Statistics and Data Science Conference in Bellevue, Washington.

Regina Nuzzo teaches her short course, “Communicating Quantitative Information Is Hard! Strategies for Success,” during this year’s Women in Statistics and Data Science Conference in Bellevue, Washington.

    “Statistics is fun, fascinating, and powerful.” That’s the message Regina Nuzzo, the new senior advisor for statistics communication and media innovation at the American Statistical Association, plans to share with a wide variety of audiences. In this newly created role tailored to her expertise, Nuzzo will help the ASA improve communication of statistics policy issues, bring more statistics to journalists and journalism, and enhance public engagement and communication skills for statisticians and statistics students.

    Most recently, Nuzzo was a professor at Gallaudet University, where she had been on the faculty since 2006. She holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of South Florida and a PhD in statistics from Stanford University. She is also a 2004 graduate of the science writing program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she learned to write about math, science, and health for a variety of audiences. Her feature article about p-values earned her the American Statistical Association’s 2014 Excellence in Statistical Reporting Award, and she facilitated the working group that produced the precedent-setting 2016 ASA p-values statement. Her writing has appeared in such publications as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, ESPN the Magazine, Reader’s Digest, Scientific American, New Scientist, Science News, and Nature.

    We wanted to know more about Nuzzo, so we asked her the following questions and she graciously answered, offering us a window into her communication style.

    You have an unusual background as a statistician and science journalist. Do these two fields complement each other, and if so how?

    Statisticians and science journalists are more alike than you might think! In statistics, we find the signal in the noise; in science journalism, we find the story among the facts. It’s a similar mindset: Given a mass of messy information, what’s most important? What’s most useful? What’s still unknown? Statistics is actually great training for journalism, and vice versa.

    During the Women in Statistics and Data Science Conference, you participated in a panel called “Working and Thriving with Disability in the Statistical Sciences.” How did it feel to discuss your disability? What are some of the issues you have had to deal with in your career regarding your deafness?

    That panel was a terrific experience. There were four of us participating with a large audience, and for some of us, it was the first time we’d discussed our disability in public. We all had lunch together and bonded over our shared experiences. I was really proud to be part of that group! One interesting thing is we all experience cognitive drain. For me, I use a cochlear implant and read lips, but still, listening to someone is always a matter of dealing with missing information. It feels like trying to do crossword puzzles in real time. The more clues I have the better—like having a good Bayesian prior!—but it’s never easy. I’m always working to fill in the gaps, and that means less brainpower left over for other important things.

    Tell me a little about your role as the ASA Senior Advisor for Statistics Communication and Media Innovation.

    First of all, it’s a brand-new position with a brand-new approach—there’s nothing else like this out there. Over the past decade, the communication of scientific information has grown in visibility and importance: There are research centers, training programs, journalism jobs, even faculty positions dedicated to science communication. My dream is for statistics communication to be recognized as just as important, if not more so. People are starting to realize that there needs to be more focus on the effective communication of statistical information, and they’re looking for help to make that happen. This new position is just one way the ASA is being proactive and innovative and taking a lead in this area. It’s very exciting.

    What are your priorities for this role?

    The role is still evolving, but right now I have three main priorities: one, to bring more knowledge and experience with statistics to journalists; two, to bring more opportunities and experience with communication to statisticians; and, three, help share more of the fun and power of statistics with the general public. I’m really looking forward to working with members on projects for these areas! At JSM, I talked with a lot of members who were really passionate about good communication and got some great suggestions from them. Everyone is always welcome to drop me a line or give me a call to chat more about the media or stats communication.

    Can you give us any “sneak peeks” of projects you are working on?

    Here’s something that hasn’t been announced widely yet: the new Interest Group for Quantitative Communication. We already have more than 100 signatures on the petition! The proposed charter is going to the Council of Sections representatives for feedback and then to the Council of Sections Governing Board for a final vote. If it’s approved, it’ll give an official home to ASA members interested in communicating data, statistics, and other quantitative information in all kinds of formats—written language, spoken language, visualization, and anything else you can think of. I think this is going to meet a real need, both within the ASA and beyond. If anyone is interested in getting more involved with setting up this “Quant Comm” Interest Group, get in touch!

    You can follow Regina on Twitter @ReginaNuzzo or contact her by email at regina@amstat.org.

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