ASA GivesBack: Volunteering Opportunities and Networking for Students and Early-Career Statisticians

With a PhD in statistical astrophysics, David Corliss is lead, Industrial Business Analytics, and manager, Data Science Center of Excellence, Stellantis. 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 has a long history of community service. One of the founding principles of this column is to highlight activities of the ASA and its members using statistical science to help people build stronger communities and a better world. This month, I feature ASA GivesBack.

This two-pronged philanthropic initiative includes fundraising and volunteerism, organizing one event per year in each area. Launched by the ASA Development Committee early last year, the program focuses on early-career statisticians and data scientists to foster a lifetime of philanthropy and community involvement. ASA GivesBack brings intentionality, organizational strength, and networking to philanthropic efforts by the ASA and its members.

I spoke with ASA Director of Strategic Initiatives and Outreach Donna LaLonde to get the 411. GivesBack offers many opportunities to get involved. It supports ASA Giving Day activities, including giving through community service. A monthly virtual happy hour helps people connect through social media to develop networks with other statisticians and data scientists. Volunteer projects are in development.

A distinctive feature is the important roles played by people just getting started in their careers. GivesBack is both for and led by students and early-career professionals. Many of the events and activities focus on early-career members, including a JSM session on virtual networking—a useful skill during the pandemic that will remain valuable in the post-COVID new normal. More than 90 people attended the 2020 session, with participants across the country and even around the world. Topics at the session included working remotely, virtual interviewing, and effective use of social media.

ASA GivesBack also hosted Visualize Your World, a seven-week summer program for K–12 students with the goal of developing an interest in statistics through data visualization. Each week, a prompt was given to set a theme such as nature, tracking screen time (maybe something all of us could use), and colors and shapes. Students’ work was hand drawn art or created by code. A winner, selected from the submissions each week in each age group, received an ASA goody bag and their visualization was placed on the GivesBack Facebook page. Visualize Your World is returning this summer with more activities to encourage an interest in statistics.

The ASA GivesBack team would like to hear your ideas for events, networking opportunities, and other activities. Visiting the group’s Facebook is a great way to learn about the initiative and offer ideas. The program is also in need of a new leadership team, whose term runs from one JSM to the next. The team organizes fundraising and volunteer events, networking activities, and a JSM session. In addition to the chair—who serves on the ASA Development Committee—and a co-chair, the team includes membership, fundraising, and volunteer event leads; a social media lead; and three members at large. With the entire leadership made of students and early-career professionals, it’s a great opportunity to grow your involvement in the ASA and make connections while doing good in the community. Applications for the ASA GivesBack leadership team are being accepted through July 1.

The American Statistical Association’s ongoing commitment to community service is one of the most important commitments we have as a professional society. It’s a practice the ASA fosters in so many ways, from ASA GivesBack to chapter activities to publicly available resources and even this column. There are opportunities for every interest and background, all joined by our shared commitment to the greater good through statistical science. Finding your own way to help is an immensely rich and rewarding experience. Join us in helping the ASA Give Back!