Kimberly Sellers, Amit Bhattacharyya, Joseph Cappelleri, Arvind Rao, Mary Batcher, Scarlett Bellamy, Ginger Holt, Karen Price, Wei Zhong, and Steve Pierson
The American Statistical Association established the External Nominations and Awards Committee in 2017 for the following two purposes:
- Identify high-profile awards (external to statistics) for which statisticians are eligible and should be considered for nomination
- Identify boards, committees, and other bodies—external to statistics—to which statisticians can potentially be appointed
These initiatives aim to raise the profile of the profession and ensure statistical expertise contributes to advancing science and evidence-based decision-making across various domains. They are also intended to recognize the contributions of a wide range of statisticians and data scientists, thereby advancing science and accelerating innovation.
Committee members have identified strong candidates and been instrumental in identifying opportunities and aiding recognition of outstanding contributions and achievements in areas such as scientific research and innovation, public service and policy impact, leadership and mentorship, and lifetime achievements and distinguished careers. They also have considered statisticians for potential inclusion on scientific advisory boards and expert panels, policy and regulatory committees, interdisciplinary research collaborations, and national and international governing bodies.
Committee efforts over the last few years have produced the following results:
- James O’Malley of the Dartmouth School of Medicine received the 2019 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research best methodology research award
- Mahmoud Torabi of the University of Manitoba won the biennial Hukum Chandra Memorial Prize from the International Association of Survey Statisticians for “Sumca: Simple, Unified, Monte-Carlo Assisted Approach to Second-Order Unbiased MSPE Estimation” in 2022
- Claire Bowen of the Urban Institute and Ron Prevost of Georgetown University were named to the Census Scientific Advisory Committee in 2022
- Nagambal Shah of Spelman College (emerita) received the 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science Lifetime Mentor Award
- Jessica Roydhouse of the University of Tasmania was recognized with the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Best Young Investigator Award
- Kristen Olson and Ting Yan were selected to serve on the 2030 Census Advisory Committee in 2024
The committee further works with ASA committees and sections to identify potential candidates for nominations, as well as individuals to lead the nomination process. For example, collaboration with the ASA Section on Statistics and the Environment led to Elena Naumova of Tufts University being appointed to the US Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board in 2022.
While these efforts have proven fruitful, committee members recognize they are limited in their ability to identify candidates for nomination across all domains with applications in statistics and data science. To ensure a diverse and inclusive pool of candidates, the committee welcomes the support of the ASA community in bringing potential candidates to its attention via colleague-sponsored and self nominations. This approach recognizes the wealth of talent and expertise among ASA members and provides an opportunity for individuals to showcase their accomplishments and qualifications.
View a list of awards and nomination opportunities. Members can suggest nominees through this form. The committee encourages nominations of statisticians from all professional sectors whose work has made important contributions to statistical theory or has been instrumental in the many domains to which statistics applies.
Questions or information about additional opportunities for consideration can be emailed to Kimberly Sellers, committee chair.
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