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Previous Features
Applications Sought for Science Policy Fellowship
During the ASA Science Policy Fellowship, the fellow spends 1–2 years in Washington, DC, working to elevate the profile of statistics in policymaking and advocating on behalf of the profession.
First Telling Our Stories Video Premieres on LinkedIn
The Telling Our Stories video features Maria Cuellar, assistant professor of criminology, statistics, and data science at the University of Pennsylvania.
Deborah Nolan
While a math student at Vassar, Deborah Nolan was first exposed to statistics during a summer internship during which she helped analyze data from a survey in a women’s magazine about how family life had changed as more women became breadwinners. That experience convinced her to stay away from statistics and stick with the comfortable world of theoretical math. After graduating, she worked for IBM and learned how to code in several languages. It was her work as an applications programmer that brought Nolan back to the world of statistics, and she went on to earn a PhD in the field. Since then, Nolan has earned multiple awards for her dedication to teaching, including the ASA Waller Distinguished Teaching Career Award and Berkley’s Distinguished Teaching Award. She co-developed the first data science course at Berkeley and played a pivotal role in designing the data science major, leading to the establishment of the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society. Currently serving as the inaugural associate dean, Nolan is instrumental in meeting the growing demand for data science education, with nearly 1,000 students graduating annually with a data science major from Berkeley.
Social Science Advocacy Day to Return to DC
Advocacy day brings together social and behavioral scientists and science advocates from across the country to engage with policymakers.
Getting to Know Col. Nicholas Clark of West Point
In keeping with our tradition of interviewing leaders from the federal government, we spoke with a West Point professor, Col. Nicholas Clark, who specializes in teaching statistics to military personnel.
Jennifer Hill
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.”
Ginger Holt
Ginger Holt’s journey into the world of statistics and data science began in Fort Worth, Texas, fueled by a family passion for education. She pursued an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering at Texas A&M University and eventually earned a PhD in statistics from Rice University. She loved her first job as assistant professor at the University of Virginia but did not love pursuing research funding, so she transitioned into industry work. Currently at DataBricks, Holt plays a pivotal role in unifying forecasting processes across different domains. Leading her team, she focuses on building tooling in data engineering and data science, aiming to make these processes scalable not only for DataBricks but also for its customers. Her favorite aspect of a career in data science is its ability to foster new learning opportunities.
Nancy Reid
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.
ASA GivesBack: Stories of Giving Back
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.