Although neither Sharina D. Person’s parents went to college, they strongly encouraged her to attend. She majored in math, but realized she wanted a career that allowed her to help society. Fortunately, she was introduced to biostatistics and found her passion. For the last 20 years, Sharina has enjoyed a research career that directly affects the lives and well-being of society, in particular population health and health equity. Another of her passions is seeing the light bulb come on in a student, mentee, or colleague’s eyes when she has explained a difficult statistical concept in a way they can comprehend.
Celebrating Black History Month 2022
Sydeaka Watson
Sydeaka Watson began her college education as a mathematics major at Dillard University and University of New Orleans in her hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. The introductory statistics course she took as an elective became one of her favorite courses and she eventually earned her PhD in the field. Since then, she has had such professional experiences as professor, biostatistician, data scientist, and consultant. Watson has supported and led STEM diversity efforts as chair of the ASA Committee on Minorities in Statistics, co-organizer of the Dallas chapter of Blacks in Technology, and organizer of the Dallas chapter of R-Ladies Global.
Briana Joy Stephenson
Briana Joy Stephenson’s older brother unknowingly motivated her, as she challenged herself to master everything he learned so she would be competitive during their family Jeopardy games. This competitive spirit transcended to school, where she excelled in the classroom and eventually received the Top Flight Senior award at her tech magnet high school and a scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Now at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Stephenson reflects on her circuitous yet intentional professional journey and is most proud of the influence she has had on the young women who follow her and have the confidence and encouragement to pursue the road less traveled.
Alisa Stephens-Shields
Through various games and activities, Alisa Stephens-Shields learned she enjoys problem-solving and finding patterns. And a summer job in the lab of a theoretical ecologist gave her the thrill of contributing to knowledge through research. Therefore, after a gap year that included a 6-month community service immersion in Costa Rica, she enrolled in the doctoral program in biostatistics at Harvard University and is now an assistant professor in the department of biostatistics, epidemiology, and informatics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
Adrian Coles
Math and science were always Adrian Coles’s favorite subjects growing up in a socioeconomically disadvantaged community in southern Virginia. After serving nine years in the US Marine Corps, he attended The University of North Carolina to become a high-school math teacher. However, he fell in love with statistics after he took a course his senior year and saw the wide range of real-world problems the discipline helped solve. Eventually, he earned his PhD in statistics from North Carolina State University and became the first African American male to earn the degree from the time-honored department.
Reneé H. Moore
Reneé Moore attended Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina—a small, historically Black, women’s college. She loved teaching and declared three majors: mathematics; secondary mathematics education; and psychology. One summer, she participated in the Harvard Summer Program in Biostatistics and the United Negro College Fund Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, which set her on the path to becoming a biostatistician. Moore is currently a research professor at Drexel University; director of the Biostatistics Scientific Collaboration Center; and director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the department of epidemiology and biostatistics.
Celebrating Black History Month 2022
In celebration of Black History Month, we recognize the innovative mathematical statistician Annie T. Randall, along with 11 individuals from the Black/African American collective who have made tremendous contributions to the statistics field. The 12 featured individuals have achieved success as professors, researchers, volunteers, and health care professionals.
Loni Philip Tabb
Loni Philip Tabb, originally from Philadelphia, started college as a business major but later changed to math. While earning her graduate degree, she was introduced to biostatistics and in awe of how such a field could exist that blended her love of numbers and storytelling. After completing her PhD, Tabb returned to Drexel University as an assistant professor of biostatistics and, in 2017, was promoted to associate professor and awarded tenure, reflecting her dedication to excellence in teaching, service, and cultivating a diverse and inclusive environment, in addition to her research. She is the first recipient of the Annie T. Randall Innovator Award.
Rhonda D. Fitzgerald
Rhonda followed in her father’s footsteps and earned her undergraduate degree in mathematics. After a family friend told her about this ‘new’ field called biostatistics, she propelled her journey forward and became the second African American to complete her PhD in biostatistics from Virginia Commonwealth University. Rhonda has received many awards and accolades as a tenured professor, but she is most proud of the relationships she has formed with her students and the impact she has made on their lives.
Brittany Dane Green
Brittany Green grew up in a rural town in Alabama and had a phenomenal teacher who piqued her interest in math. She wrestled with how to combine her interest in math with her passion for social justice until she discovered data science and statistics. After observing media and academia tout the benefits of machine learning models without regard for how they can negatively affect certain populations, she was drawn to exploring how these models can be used to positively affect society. Now, she contributes to the field of digital technologies and social justice as an assistant professor in information systems, analytics, and operations.