Growing up, Merlise Clyde loved science, math, and the outdoors but really had no idea about careers in mathematics, let alone statistics. She discovered statistics while at Oregon State University studying forestry ecology. There was no major in statistics then, but she took every statistics course she could fit into her degree. Clyde ultimately earned her PhD in statistics from the University of Minnesota. She is best known for her research in Bayesian model selection/model averaging with mixtures of g-priors (and the associated R package BAS); however, her greatest accomplishment has been in Bayesian nonparametric regression using Lévy processes for Lévy adaptive regression kernels.
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Amanda Koepke
Amanda Koepke knew from an early age she loved math and was introduced to statistics in high school. Despite loving statistics, she didn’t know what careers would be available to her upon graduation, so she majored in accounting at Texas Tech University. Eventually, she switched her major to psychology and mathematics and statistics. After finishing her undergraduate work, becoming a statistician seemed like the perfect way to merge her love of math and the social sciences, so she pursued her PhD in statistics from the University of Washington. Today, she is a mathematical statistician at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, where she works side-by-side with scientists doing cutting-edge research.
Texas A&M to Host CBMS Conference
The Department of Statistics at Texas A&M University will host the five-day CBMS conference, “Foundations of Causal Graphical Models and Structure Discovery,” May 15–19 in College Station, Texas.
Celebrating Women in Statistics and Data Science 2023
In honor of Women’s History Month, we are once again celebrating ASA women who work in statistics and data science. These accomplished women were chosen because they inspired other women in their field. Read their biographies and find out why they chose statistics, who influenced them, and what they have accomplished.
2023 ASA Election – BOD Candidate Statements and Open Section Positions
The ASA announces the candidates for the 2023 election. Voting begins April 3 and runs through May 1.
NISS to Sponsor Statistics on Combatting Human Trafficking Forum
The National Institute of Statistical Sciences is sponsoring an Ingram Olkin forum to bring world experts together to discuss statistical strategies for estimating the prevalence of human trafficking. The forum will kick off with a webinar from 1–4 p.m. ET on March 15.
ASA History of Statistics Group Wants Input
The History of Statistics Special Interest group will have a new column in CHANCE magazine called History Chronicles and could use your suggestions and submissions for future columns.
Donations Help ASA’s Work, Affect National Interests
The ASA’s director of development, Amanda Malloy, shares how the ASA has been investing in statistics and data science education and inspiring students to pursue careers in STEM.
Becky McNeil
Becky McNeil’s enchantment with statistics and mathematical modeling began during her undergraduate studies, when she learned about ecological models and population dynamics. After completing her undergraduate degree in mathematics and biology, she took a job in billing at a pharmacy that served long-term care facilities. This was her first exposure to raw data—the stories of health told by billing records—and those stories sparked a deep interest in using mathematical tools to improve health. Eventually, McNeil earned her graduate degree in biostatistics and additional training in epidemiology and bioinformatics. She is now a research statistician at RTI international.
Jill A. Dever
Jill Dever spent the first 22 years of her life in the suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky. Her interest in statistics started with her parents and math flashcards at the kitchen table. Later, her brother heightened her interest in math and taught her computer programming logic by sharing fun facts and projects from school. However, it was her University of Louisville professor who encouraged her to investigate biostatistics, owing to her interest in medical-based TV shows. So, off to The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill she went to earn her MS in biostatistics and later the University of Maryland to earn her PhD. She ended up at RTI International, where she has been for 25 years. One of her greatest achievements is coauthoring two books, including Practical Tools for Sampling and Weighting.