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 American Statistical Association awarded the 2020 Karl E. Peace Award for Outstanding Statistical Contributions for the Betterment of Society to Francesca Dominici of Harvard University. Established in memory of biostatistician and industry leader Karl E. Peace, the award is given each year to a person making substantial contributions to the statistical profession that have led in direct ways to improving the human condition. Recipients will have demonstrated through their accomplishments their commitment to service for the greater good.

In naming Dominici as this year’s recipient, the award committee emphasized the many ways her important contributions have benefitted statistics, its role in society, and society as a whole, honoring her high-quality, innovative, and policy-relevant science; her commitment to transparency and reproducibility in science; and her work in developing statistical methods for evaluating health effects of exposure to air pollution.

With a background in statistics and public health, Dominici’s work has addressed some of the most important challenges facing our society today, including the public health impact of air pollution, improving the quality of cancer research, and climate change. The Clarence James Gamble Professor of Biostatistics, Population, and Data Science at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, she leads interdisciplinary research teams combining statistics and innovative methods in big data to address problems in public health and advocate for public policy supporting the health of everyone. One important research focus has been on the health effects of air pollution in rural areas in the United States and developing countries. As Dominici told Rob Stein at NPR, this has produced “bullet-proof evidence” of harm from air pollution, even at levels permitted under EPA regulations. Today, air pollution is being investigated as a driver of COVID-19 mortality.

In addition to the science, Dominici has been active in developing public policy to implement the results of public health studies. Her research on the effects of pollution has led to improved air quality standards in many places. In a time when all science is in danger of being politicized, Dominici is a voice for data-driven policy for the benefit of society.

Dominici is also co-director of the Harvard Data Science Initiative. A great example of the critical role innovative data methods play in driving scientific discovery and public policy, the air pollution research combines satellite imaging with air pollution monitoring and Medicare patient data. Big data methods are then applied to identify small—but deadly—effects.

In addition to her many accomplishments in statistics, data science, health, and public policy, Dominici is active in diversity and inclusion initiatives. She is a distinguished voice for women in statistics and female faculty in general. Dominici’s advocacy has included leading committees on women faculty at The Johns Hopkins University in the 2000s and later at Harvard. This is an important and growing area of advocacy at the ASA, reflected by the new Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Outreach Group.

Dominici’s diverse interests and accomplishments have led to recognition in many areas. Elected an ASA Fellow in 2005, she is also a fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics and National Academy of Medicine. Additionally, she is a recipient of the Mortimer Spiegelman Award from the American Public Health Association and the Florence Nightingale David Award from the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies. As the recipient of the 2020 Karl E. Peace Award for Outstanding Statistical Contributions for the Betterment of Society, Dominici’s distinguished research and service are inspiring examples of data and science in the service of humanity.

Learn more about the Karl E. Peace Award and previous recipients.

Get Involved

Due to COVID-19, almost all our work requires working remotely. That includes hackathons, which are such an important avenue for Data for Good projects. Tech staffing company Built In has put together a webpage to help you take your next D4G hackathon virtual.

In the area of COVID-19 research, new resources come online all the time. I had the opportunity to be one of many speakers at the Data Science Conference on COVID-19 from the ASA, NISS, and other organizations. The listing of speakers and their topics can serve as thought starters for all kinds of Data for Good projects. Most studies have taken a broad approach, considering nationwide and even global impacts. Because of this, more research is needed in local studies and smaller populations. These offer many opportunities for D4G analyst-advocates to make a meaningful impact.