Therri Usher, Committee on Minorities in Statistics

On September 18 and 19, the ASA’s Committee on Minorities in Statistics held the 20th annual—and first virtual—StatFest conference. StatFest is traditionally a one-day event aimed at encouraging undergraduate students from historically under-represented groups to consider graduate studies and careers in statistics and data science. It takes place at different locations throughout the US; however, it was held virtually and split over two half-days due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the transition to a virtual conference halfway through the planning cycle, approximately 80 participants attended each day of StatFest. For the first time and due to the virtual setting, StatFest was able to welcome international participants, with attendees chiming in from South Africa and Malaysia.

The program started with a welcome and opening remarks from Dionne Price, one of the vice presidents of the American Statistical Association. In celebration of the 20th StatFest, its founder, Nagambal Shah, shared some of the history of StatFest, as well as motivating words for student attendees.

Day 1 consisted of two panels focused on statistics and data science careers in the academic, government, industry, and nonprofit sectors. Panelists gave five-minute talks on their background and current work before answering questions from the moderator and audience. The day ended with an expo, where participants had the opportunity to connect with 18 academic departments, programs, and professional institutions.

Day 2 of StatFest began with the keynote address, given by Loni Tabb of Drexel University, followed by a presentation about preparing for graduate school, given by Justine Herrera of Columbia University. This year’s parallel sessions consisted of a student-only and professional-oriented session. The student-only session, titled “The Graduate Student Experience,” consisted of panelists enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs in statistics and data science. Meanwhile, the professional-oriented session focused on dismantling inherent biases to promote the recruitment, retention, and support of students and professionals from under-represented populations.

To promote discussion and networking among attendees, StatFest ended with virtual roundtable sessions defined by topics such as “Summer Opportunities in Statistics and Data Science,” “Interview Prep,” and “Networking in the Virtual Setting.”

Despite the transition to the virtual setting, organizers received positive feedback from attendees during and after the event. A bright spot for several attendees was being able to attend StatFest without having to find travel funding. They expressed the desire to see StatFest develop a hybrid in-person/virtual model in the future.

StatFest 2021 is scheduled to be held at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, Indiana, and StatFest 2022 is scheduled to be held at Columbia University in New York.