Jennifer Hill developed an early interest in math and pursued economics in college. However, after working in the corporate world, she went back to school for graduate degrees from Rutgers and Harvard that allowed her to focus on causal inference and social policy. Currently professor of applied statistics at NYU Steinhardt, Hill has created software that makes it easier for applied researchers to use sophisticated methods in a way that helps them have a deeper understanding of what methods they are using and why. She notes, “Answering real questions with real data is the best and biggest challenge there is.”

The ASA GivesBack group chose to focus their first project of 2024 on the generosity of ASA members. Read the selection of the stories submitted from ASA members about how they chose to give back in 2023.

Nancy Reid initially intended to become a computer scientist because it was rumored to be the “future.” Instead, during her undergraduate years, she discovered she enjoyed statistics. She went on to pursue an MSc at the University of British Columbia, after which she expected to find a ‘real job.’ However, when she did her research thesis, she became hooked on research. In fact, the research environment was so exciting to her she has dedicated her entire career to academia. Still, Reid said she values the influence she has on her students the most.

Elinor Jones, Lucia Barbone, and Kelly H. Zou discussed their experiences as women collaborating with researchers and stakeholders during an hour-long panel as part of the International Day for Women in Statistics and Data Science celebration on October 10, 2023.

In honor of Women’s History Month, three former ASA presidents share career highlights, role models, and invaluable advice.

Millennia Young’s favorite subject while growing up was math. She loved solving problems and knowing she had the correct answer, even if the answer was “does not exist.” After high school, she went on to study applied mathematics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and it was there she was introduced to statistics. “Although both disciplines use math to model what is happening in the world,” she wrote, “statistics provided unique insights.” Before she started her PhD, she had two children, and by the time she defended, she had three. Although she struggled, she kept going. Eventually, she landed her dream job—leading the biostatistics lab for human health and performance at NASA.

Mary Ellen Bock began her academic career at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in German in 1967. She shifted her focus to mathematics for her graduate studies at the same university and earned her PhD under the guidance of Robert B. Ash. In 1995, she made history as the first female full professor of statistics and inaugural female chair of the statistics department at Purdue. Under her leadership, Purdue added courses in areas of application such as bioinformatics, genomics, massive data, machine learning, visualization, and computational finance. She was also instrumental in securing National Science Foundation funding to develop the Pathways to the Future workshops that helped young female faculty succeed. Bock is an ASA founder and fellow.

Sign up to participate in a new interest group that hopes to empower statisticians to participate in artificial intelligence research and leadership.

Jacquelyn Ganskopp recently joined the finance team at the American Statistical Association.

The January issue of JSDSE leads with a paper that recounts the difficult past of statistics, notably the role of eugenics in the development of the field. The author argues we must confront our history to move forward and provides guidance for addressing the troubling history in the classroom.