Serving as the program chair for an ASA meeting can seem like a mammoth undertaking, but Nicole Lazar, chair of the 2021 Joint Statistical Meetings Program Committee, and Claire Bowen, who heads up the organizing team for the 2022 Symposium on Data Science and Statistics, describe the volunteer role as, “exciting, humbling, and a privilege.” Practical Significance hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein know the vital role all member volunteers play in the sustained success of an association and talk to Nicole and Claire about how they manage the responsibility with their day jobs.
Together, Nicole and Claire share what has surprised them serving as chair, how they stay organized, what they are most excited about, what one can take away from virtual meetings, and what inspires them as the program takes shape. Perhaps this episode will inspire you to say, “Yes,” when a call for volunteers goes out!
If you haven’t done so, there is still time to register for JSM 2021, and if you are interested in getting involved with planning SDSS 2022 in Pittsburgh, PA, contact the organizers!
Check out this episode’s engaging conversation and don’t miss Ron’s traditional “Top 10,” as he offers up the top 10, “Unlikely Locations for a Future JSM.”
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