This piece surveys how UN agencies, Statistics Without Borders, the Human Rights Data Analytics Group, and other Data for Good organizations use data and analytics to support people in conflict zones.
HRDAG
People News for November 2021
See what ASA members have been up to lately in the November 2021 People News update.
Kristian Lum: A Statistician Inspired by Human Rights
Building on an interest in mathematics while in high school, Kristian Lum went into college set on a math degree. However, what she expected was a connection between the problems and reality—something she didn’t find in higher mathematics. It wasn’t until she took a course in statistics that she really discovered her passion, because she could use quantitative skills to tackle real-world problems.
Data for Good: The Year in Review
2018 was a landmark year during which the D4G community both grew and drew closer together, coalescing into a stronger, more vibrant, and more distinct movement. Many more organizations, projects, positions, conferences, and conference sections distinctly labeled as D4G were apparent. With this increased visibility has come more opportunities.
Karl E. Peace Award Recognizes Work of Patrick Ball
The American Statistical Association’s 2018 Karl E. Peace Award for Outstanding Statistical Contributions for the Betterment of Society recognized the work of leading human rights mathematician Patrick Ball of the Human Rights Data Analysis Group.
Megan Price: Life-Long ‘Math Nerd’ Finds Career in Social Justice
David Corliss interviews Megan Price, the executive director of the Human Rights Data Analysis Group.
Kristian Lum
For as long as she can remember, Lum has enjoyed math and logic puzzles. Her interest in math took off in high school when she took calculus from an excellent professor at the local community college. She has concentrated on applying statistics to important problems in human rights ever since and is the lead statistician at the Human Rights Data Analysis Group, where she examines the use of machine learning in the criminal justice system.
ASA Members Contribute to Report Detailing Conditions, Mortality in Syrian Prisons
ASA members of the Human Rights Data Analysis Group recently coauthored a technical memo that accompanied an Amnesty International report detailing the conditions and mortality in Syrian prisons from 2011 to 2015.