Brenda Gaydos built a distinguished career in the pharmaceutical industry. Even though her parents thought college was a waste of money, especially for a girl, Gaydos pursued a degree.
Peggy Carr
Peggy Carr’s journey began in Cleveland, Ohio, where her family moved during The Great Migration. Carr was the first person of color in executive management at the National Center for Education Statistics and among the first to join the Federal Senior Executive Service.
Bailey Fosdick
When Bailey Fosdick began college at the Colorado School of Mines, she was drawn to science but quickly realized she disliked lab work. Mathematics, however, stood out as the common thread tying her interests together. Seeking a pure math degree, she transferred to Colorado State University, where an introductory coding class sparked an unexpected love for computer science, leading her to double major in both fields. However, it was the COVID-19 pandemic and her work on university and public health modeling teams that reignited her true purpose—solving real-world problems with statistics. Seeking to make a deeper impact, she left academia and is now institute data scientist at GTI Energy. The transition required courage, but it brought immense growth and the fulfillment of seeing her work make a tangible difference.
Ji-Hyun Lee, New American Statistical Association President, Says ‘Everyday Statisticians’ Can Change the World
Lee has three goals for her presidency: enhancing the visibility of the profession; increasing opportunities for ASA members; and diversifying and expanding membership. To do that, Lee hopes to build strong, sustainable bridges between the ASA and other professional organizations and institutions.
Nairanjana (Jan) Dasgupta
Nairanjana Dasgupta’s life has been shaped by serendipity and survival. Born under extraordinary circumstances when her mother, at over 40, discovered her pregnancy after needing surgery, the odds of her survival were slim. Growing up on a small university campus near the Himalayas, Dasgupta developed an early love for numbers, logic, and word puzzles. Torn between mathematics and English at 18, she was introduced to statistics and her decision proved to be transformative. She is now a Regents professor at Washington State University and president of the Western North American Region of the International Biometric Society.
Marie Diener-West
Marie Diener-West pursued biology and mathematics at Loyola University of Chicago. It wasn’t until her senior year that a physical chemistry professor suggested graduate school—a simple comment that changed her life.
Rousseeuw Prize for Statistics Honors False Discovery Rate Pioneers
This year’s prize honored Yoav Benjamini, Daniel Yekutieli, and Ruth Heller of Tel Aviv University for their pioneering work on the false discovery rate—a concept that has transformed how scientists handle multiple hypothesis testing.
Professional Opportunities: March
Check out professional opportunities from Cleveland Clinic and The University of Texas at Austin.
Shannon Ellis
Shannon Ellis attended King’s College, where she earned a bachelor’s in biology and Spanish while playing Division III sports. A pivotal moment came when her genetics professor, Jeramia Ory, invited her to join his research lab.
Qixuan Chen
Qixuan Chen’s journey into statistics was deeply inspired by her father, who pursued a self-taught degree in statistics while managing more than 100 employees, achieving the highest GPA in his class. Growing up on a beautiful island in southeast China, Chen was captivated by his explanation of the bell curve, sparking her passion for the field. She later earned advanced degrees in the United States and developed a research philosophy grounded in problem-driven methods, community engagement, and clear communication. As a dedicated educator and mentor, Chen finds joy in supporting students, believing—like her father—it’s never too late to achieve greatness.