It has been an honor to serve as president of the American Statistical Association in 2024 and a privilege to have this forum to share with you my updates and vision for our association and profession. Some of you have taken the time to share your thoughts about these columns, which I’ve greatly appreciated. Next month, the ASA enters its 186th year with a new ASA president. In my last column of the year, I will reflect on highlights of the past year, challenges ahead, and—most importantly—my experiences with you, our ASA community.
Opportunity has played an enormous role in my career. When I spoke to ASA members, I heard the need for more mentoring opportunities within our association. To incorporate diverse perspectives, I formed a working group. Thank you to Ruth Etzioni, Carolyn Rutter, Prince Allotey, Maria DeYoreo, Frost Hubbard, and Madhu Mazumdar. All have been so generous with their time.
In the spring, the working group developed a survey for members and section, committee, and chapter officers to understand both member needs and the landscape of ASA mentoring. The findings suggest many ASA groups already provide valuable mentoring (e.g., webinars, 1-1 mentoring). The fresh idea is to launch ASA communities of practice. Models involving peer-to-peer mentoring should be both scalable and sustainable. We are working out implementation with primary considerations being conversation interface (e.g., Slack, Discord) and necessary resources (e.g., staffing, maintenance). Many of you have provided names to be added to a new mentoring platform. Please look for an update in spring 2025.
As you may know, I am passionate about the role of statisticians in interdisciplinary collaborations. I also think we need to do more to elevate our contributions. Building upon recent initiatives, I chose to focus on the critical role of statistical scientists in data science and artificial intelligence. My JSM invited speaker Jason Matheny’s talk, titled “Working at the Intersection of Statistics and AI Policy” was a powerful reminder to statistical practitioners of the resilience and determination that drive our work.
Thank you to Lingzhou Xue (Penn State) and Donna LaLonde (ASA), who helped me organize the third IDEA Forum in November. The topic was trustworthy AI, with multiple perspectives and developments in trustworthy AI, bias, and human-user interactions with AI systems. The moderated Q&A explored the role of statistics in ensuring data privacy and fairness, bridging the gap between AI’s technical complexity and the public’s trust in its outcomes, and communicating outcomes transparently. In partnership with the National Institute of Statistical Sciences, we are planning additional AI-related webinars for next spring, including the following:
- Demystifying AI
- AI Considerations for Statistical Research
- AI Considerations for Education
- Effect of AI Across Sectors
I would like to acknowledge the generous advice and consulting I received from Mark Glickman, Weijie Su, and James Rosenberger.
In modern society, technology can help us connect more frequently to build and strengthen community. While in-person meetings can enhance connections, they are not accessible to all. LaLonde, Ron Wasserstein, and I hosted a virtual meet-up for new ASA members in October; some on the call came from statistics-adjacent fields. Many expressed a desire to connect with others within the ASA. The plan is to host additional meet-ups for ASA sections and interest groups so new (or current) members can find their ‘community.’
The highlight of the year was the 2024 Joint Statistical Meetings in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. The superb program committee, led by Debashis Ghosh, organized a terrific technical program, which received rave reviews.
JSM is more than just an event to many of us—it is an opportunity to celebrate shared passions; shape the future of our field; and network, learn, and grow! The on-stage celebration of the new fellows and award recipients was joyous and recognized the leadership and impact of our colleagues. Additionally, I had the unique privilege of addressing ASA councils and committees, sharing my vision for the ASA.
At JSM and throughout this year, I have learned about your initiatives and marveled at the collective strength of dedicated volunteers. Thank you for all you are doing to move our community forward. I also want to thank the small and mighty ASA staff that is the backbone of all activities and ASA offerings (e.g., meetings, publications, and even a podcast).
Looking ahead to 2025, I am excited for the initiatives under our new ASA president, Ji-Hyun Lee, and the new ASA initiatives to increase outreach and communicate impact. Scheduled for April 22, 2025, the Dionne Price Public Lecture will showcase the work of early-career investigator Claire Bowen. Also, the second Telling Our Stories video is underway. And there is so much more in the works. Remember, we can all contribute to increasing visibility and communicating the impact of our work and profession in ways a nonstatistician can appreciate.
I end this column with grateful thanks to the many people who have left me with a lifetime of memories from 2024. It would be hard to overstate the impact statistics has had on me, both personally and professionally, especially this year. ASA staff; the board of directors; our hardworking committee, chapter, and section officers; and our members from all over the world have been ever so collegial, informative, and gracious. The ASA would not exist without you, our members, and its staff to help us move in directions not foreseen by our predecessors. The research you have published, the projects you have conducted, and the communications you have shared have taught me much and so inspired me in my life. This experience has reinforced my belief in the power of community and collaboration and reminded me we can drive positive change and have impact through the power of statistics!
Thank you for welcoming me as your president this year, and may you continue to enrich the lives of others as you have enriched mine.
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