In this episode of Practical Significance, co-hosts Ron Wasserstein and Donna LaLonde talk with Meaghan Parker of the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing about the changing landscape of science journalism and why accurate, independent reporting remains essential to public understanding and trust.
Practical Significance
Practical Significance | Episode 68: Pop Quiz: What Should Every Student Know About Data and Computing?
Data and computing shape nearly every aspect of modern life, yet K–12 education has struggled to keep pace. In this episode of Practical Significance, Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein welcome Nick Horton (Amherst College) and Anna Bargagliotti (Loyola Marymount University) to discuss the National Academies report, Data and Computing in K–12 Foundational Competencies 2026. Together, they unpack the report’s […]
Practical Significance | Episode 67: Behind the Numbers—Insights from the ASA Work and Salary Survey
What can a salary survey tell us about the current state of the statistics profession? Quite a lot as it turns out. In this episode of Practical Significance, cohosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein welcome Christine Filer and Gary Langer of Langer Research Associates to discuss the findings of the recent ASA Work and Salary […]
Practical Significance | Episode 66: Inside the New ASA Clinical Trials Certificate Program
What does it take to prepare statisticians for the realities of modern clinical trials? This month, “Practical Significance” cohosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein are joined by Ji-Hyun Lee (University of Florida) and Nolan Wages (Virginia Commonwealth University) to discuss the new ASA Clinical Trials Certificate Program. Lee and Wages explore the gap between traditional […]
Practical Significance | Episode 65: Behind the Button—Why JSM Docents Make the Difference
In this episode of Practical Significance, hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein are joined by longtime JSM docents Jessica Kohlschmidt (The Ohio State University) and Justin Jacobs (Oak Ridge National Laboratory). If you’ve ever walked into JSM and felt like you needed a translator, a map, and a friend all at once, docents are exactly that. Kohlschmidt and Jacobs […]
‘Practical Significance’ | Episode 64: Playing for Real: Serious Gaming for Preparedness and Decision-Making
It’s Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month, and Practical Significance is celebrating with a special guest—Francesca de Rosa, founder of FDR Strategies, to explore the growing field of serious gaming, where statistics, probability, modeling, and data-informed design come together.
‘Practical Significance’ | Episode 63: Real World Data Science: Who’s Writing the Story
In this episode of Practical Significance, cohosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein welcome Real World Data Science managing editor, Annie Flynn (Royal Statistical Society), and editorial board members Monnie McGee (Southern Methodist University) and Willis Jensen (CHG Healthcare) to talk about what stories need to be told. Real World Data Science, a publication from the Royal Statistical Society in […]
‘Practical Significance’ | Episode 62: Volume One: A Conversation with the Editors of ASA Discoveries
What does a journal look like when you design it for the research world we’re living in, along with the one we’re building? In the latest episode of Practical Significance, cohosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein welcome the editorial leadership team behind ASA Discoveries, the American Statistical Association’s new open-access journal. Editor-in-Chief Bo Li (Washington […]
‘Practical Significance’ | Episode 61: Communities in Action—A Conversation with 2026 ASA President Jeri Mulrow
A call to action kicks off the New Year and season six of “Practical Significance.” Cohosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein welcome incoming ASA President Jeri Mulrow, who shares her thoughts about leadership, service, and the evolving role of statistics and asks members to become communities in action. Her experiences—from growing up in Helena, Montana, […]
‘Practical Significance’ | Episode 60: The Hand-Off: Wisdom, Memories, and Hope for What’s Coming
During this traditional year-end edition of Practical Significance, co-hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein sit down with four outgoing ASA Board leaders—Ingrid Van Keilegom, Jenny Thompson, Melinda Holt, and Bonnie Ghosh-Dastidar—for a candid and inspiring conversation about their time on the board and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. The guests pull back the […]