With a PhD in statistical astrophysics, David Corliss leads a data science team at Fiat Chrysler. He serves on the steering committee for the Conference on Statistical Practice and is the founder of Peace-Work, a volunteer cooperative of statisticians and data scientists providing analytic support for charitable groups and applying statistical methods in issue-driven advocacy.
The Joint Statistical Meetings—one of the largest statistics events in the world—is going to be virtual this year for the first time. The spotlight will be on the important work we share: Everyone Counts: Data for the Public Good. This focus means a long list of events and presentations, making JSM 2020 the largest, most diverse Data for Good event in history!
Such a large conference with so many opportunities for meeting, learning, and collaborating brings with it some complexity. In terms of logistics, nQuery has published a helpful blog post about the conference with lots of useful details all in one place. You can also check out the online program and use the search engine to find the presentations and other events.
As for the virtual format, I have been working with colleagues remotely for a number of years and can say there is a set of skills and practices that can help make it work well. JSM gives all of us an opportunity to practice and develop remote collaboration and partnerships. As most of us are becoming more familiar with virtual meetings, JSM is offering a new, global opportunity to connect outside and after the event. We can set up our own virtual meetings to leverage the connections we make at JSM, explore the research more deeply than is possible in a short presentation, develop new resources, and forge new partnerships. JSM has become the catalyst for virtual collaboration in Data for Good throughout the year.
There are so many great talks this year; using the search engine will help you find what interests you most. With this year’s theme, the keynotes will be of particular interest, however. Also following JSM’s theme, the Caucus for Women in Statistics, Statistics Without Borders (SWB), and the Social Statistics Section will present Data Science for the Public Good August 3 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. EDT with a series of talks from leading D4G researchers. Another session that stands out is Statistical Humanitarian Groups Making a Difference from SWB. It will feature presentations from SWB; DataKind; Human Rights Data Analytics Group; and the AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights, and Law Program. The session is August 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. EDT.
On August 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. EDT, the Committee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights will sponsor an invited panel—Statistics at the Border: Migration, Detention, and Assimilation. Another important issue of the day, the COVID-19 pandemic will be explored in no fewer than four presentations, including a talk about data visualization and how misinformation spreads by Zoe Liu in Visual Stories That Count!
Other sessions tied to this year’s theme include Enhancing the Dissemination of Data for the Public Good on Monday morning, Massive Administrative Data to Advance the Public Good on Wednesday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. EDT, and Achieving Your Potential in Statistics Through Different Organizations, presented by the Royal Statistical Society Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. EDT. In addition to topics specific to Data for Good, attendees will want to look for presentations about statistical methodologies needed in our research (e.g., Kristian Lum’s talk, “Statistical Challenges in Casualty Estimation,” on Monday afternoon).
JSM 2020’s virtual format and lower fees make it more accessible than ever. Taking some time to plan, using the online program’s search engine, and deciding which talks and events to attend will do a lot to make the most of it. If you aren’t able to attend, you can still mine the search engine for new ideas, case studies, connections, and methods.
So many conferences have gone virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a new environment for learning and collaborating. The immense impact of the pandemic on how we work won’t go away with the lessening of this crisis. Right now, new practices and procedures are being developed, refined, and implemented on scales as small as video conversations between two colleagues and as large as the biggest statistical meeting in North America. This is the new normal.
This new working environment, rich with opportunities, will be on full display at JSM. Now is the time to make new connections, learn new skills, and start new collaborations. The virtual events we see at JSM and other conferences can be both the impetus and the classroom for ongoing virtual meetings, hackathons, and other new activities. The result is a greater democratization of analytics, giving new meaning to JSM 2020’s theme of Everyone Counts. We are working in a new, globally connected environment in which every researcher, student, retiree, and volunteer has opportunities like never before to make an impact with data for the public good.
Get Involved
In D4G opportunities this month, check out the AAAS Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists, awarded annually to early-career scientists in four areas in the life sciences with great potential for Data for Good, including ecology and the environment. Applications are due July 15.
I’m writing this column during ongoing protests by people seeking racial justice. Something I have observed is frustration about calls for action that have been heeded little while exclusion, marginalization, and violence have continued. Even as large-scale protests have captured the attentions of millions, the deadly pandemic of poverty continues with no vaccine in sight. The protests, COVID-19, and poverty are all linked, affecting the same marginalized populations in vastly disproportionate numbers. As our society struggles to find more durable solutions, statistical science is playing a vital role in identifying root causes and recommending strategies to effect real and lasting change. This is my personal invitation to each of you to consider new ways and new science to meet the challenge. In the fight for human dignity, everyone has a role to play, and the science we bring is one of the most powerful weapons in the arsenal of peace and justice.
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