Dong-Yun Kim and Jessica Kohlschmidt
The International Day of Women in Statistics and Data Science marked its third annual celebration October 8 with a 24-hour virtual conference, uniting a global audience under the theme “Empowering the Next Generation of Women Statisticians and Data Scientists.” Organized by the Caucus for Women in Statistics and Data Science in collaboration with the American Statistical Association and Portuguese Statistical Society, the event offered access to a network of female professionals, leaders, and aspiring statisticians and data scientists worldwide.
The celebration—made up of 180 speakers from 26 countries—attracted more than 600 participants from 77 countries, reflecting the worldwide interest in celebrating and advancing the contributions of women in these fields.
Bridging Continents: By the Numbers
The United States led with 43% representation, followed by the United Kingdom at 9% and South Korea at 7%. Twenty-seven of the speakers (15%) were students, including three high school students and one undergraduate. Eighty percent of the speakers were affiliated with academia, 7% were affiliated with government institutions, and 13% were affiliated with industry. Participants came from Africa (3%), the Americas (47%), Asia (5%), Europe (31%), and Oceania (4%), while 10% came from other places. Additionally, 16 of the 60 sessions (27%) featured speakers from multiple countries.
Highlights: Keynotes, Sessions, and Leaders
This year’s event featured an array of plenary and technical sessions, with themes spanning the latest developments in statistics and data science to professional insights to historical reflections to strategies for career advancement. The conference opened with a session led by Dong-Yun Kim, International Day of Women in Statistics and Data Science co-chair, who welcomed participants from around the world. The opening session included remarks from the Caucus for Women in Statistics and Data Science President Cynthia Bland, ASA President-Elect Ji-Hyun Lee, and Portuguese Statistical Society Vice President Lisete Sousa. They highlighted the event’s global support and the essential collaboration between statistical societies committed to diversity and inclusion.
The four keynotes covered the following topics:
- Kerrie Mengersen of Queensland University of Technology gave an overview of Bayesian approaches to address substantive environmental, health, and societal challenges.
- Nancy Geller of the National Institutes of Health and recipient of the 2024 Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award shared her approach to leadership, highlighting respect, open communication, and a supportive work environment as essential to scientific success.
- Ruth Keogh of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine showcased statistical methods used in health research, where common aims are to predict the risk of an adverse outcome or estimate the causal effect of a medical intervention, and discussed what prediction can do for causal inference and vice versa.
- Leslie McClure of Saint Louis University explored actionable strategies to foster the growth of young women in statistics and data science, drawing from her personal experiences and providing leadership insights.
The broad selection of contributed sessions highlighted how influential women throughout the world are advancing statistical science across diverse applications and global research fronts.
In the spirit of the conference theme, students at all levels were encouraged to participate, and the program included a high school student research session. Three students presented projects about confidence intervals in clinical studies, AI ethics in health care, and machine learning in space science.
Survey Insights: Impact and Reception
Feedback from 45 attendees (84% female, 16% male) consisting of 62% statisticians, 16% students, and 11% data scientists and other categories highlighted several strengths of the conference.
Eighty-four percent rated the conference as either “excellent” or “very good.” Attendees rated their likelihood of recommending the event to colleagues with a mean score of 8.5 (SD = 2.0) on a scale from 0 (very unlikely) to 10 (very likely).
Attendees highlighted several key themes, particularly regarding the diversity of speakers and research topics. They also praised the professionalism of the speakers, citing their knowledge and the practical applications of statistics and data science in real-world contexts.
The event was praised for its organization, and the 24-hour online format was appreciated for its flexibility.
Beyond the Numbers: Building a Stronger Community in Statistics and Data Science
Beyond the technical discussions, the International Day of Women in Statistics and Data Science brought forward conversations about the need for continued efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion. Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in statistics and data science, making initiatives like the International Day of Women in Statistics and Data Science crucial for fostering support and mentorship within the field.
IDWSDS 2024 Committee Members
Cynthia Bland
Ligia Henriques-Rodrigues
Shili Lin
Altea Lorenzo-Arribas
Sarah Lotspeich
Vanda Lourenco
Umut Ozbek
Hunna Watson
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