Speakers at JSM honored former ASA President and longtime chief statistician Katherine Wallman, highlighting her leadership, mentorship, and lasting impact on federal statistics and the ASA’s policy work.
OMB
ASA Urges Protection for Scientific, Statistical Roles in Federal Workforce Rule
The ASA is asking the government not to include scientific and statistical jobs in a new rule that could make it easier to fire federal workers, saying these roles should stay separate from politics so the public can trust the data and decisions based on it.
DHS Elevates, Expands Statistics Office
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas launched the Office of Homeland Security Statistics in a November ceremony. The office is an expansion of the statistical activities at DHS, where previously the Office of Immigration Statistics—the Office of Homeland Security Statistics predecessor—covered only immigration statistics.
Infrastructure Series: Challenges Loom for Chief Statistician of the US
For this installment of the Count on Stats State of the Data Infrastructure Series, we hear from former Chief Statisticians of the United States Hermann Habermann, Katherine Wallman, and Nancy Potok.
State of the Data Infrastructure Series: Census Bureau
For the latest State of the Data Infrastructure feature, Count on Stats spoke with three experts about the US Census Bureau: Margo Anderson of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, an expert on the history of the bureau and federal statistical system; Allison Plyer, chief demographer of The Data Center and recent chair of the bureau’s Scientific Advisory Committee; and Nancy Potok, most recently chief statistician of the US who, most notably, has also been deputy director and chief operating officer of the bureau and deputy undersecretary for economic affairs at the US Department of Commerce.
Advocating for the Federal Data Infrastructure: What, Why, When, and How
ASA Science Policy Fellow Daniel Elchert helps answer the question: What is our federal data infrastructure, and when and how might statisticians go about advocating for this system as a means to leverage data for the public good?
Brian at OMB
Grace Medley writes about her mentor Brian Harris-Kojetin who was the Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring award winner in 2013.
The Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics: June 2012 Meeting
Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics (COPAFS) acts as the advocate for the development and dissemination of high-quality federal statistics. Member organizations include professional associations, businesses, research institutes, and others interested in federal statistics. Through COPAFS, members have an opportunity to review and have an effect on issues including timeliness, quality, confidentiality, and relevance of data. COPAFS holds quarterly meetings, the last one being on June 1, 2012. Read on to learn what took place.