James McCune Smith was the first professionally trained Black physician to practice in the United States. Smith’s work pioneered the use of statistical evidence to evaluate the efficacy of medical treatments and dismantle racist claims of Black biological inferiority.
Social Statistics
New Member Spotlight: Vera Dureke
This month, we spotlight new member Vera Dureke, whose dream is to be a research scientist focused on data ethics.
Award Committees Seek Applications, Nominations
Nominations and applications for the Causality in Statistics Education Award and Wray Jackson Smith Scholarship are due in April.
Obituaries for January 2023
ASA members Joseph Massaro and Tim Holt passed away recently.
JSM 2022: A World of Innovation in Data for Good
David Corliss offers tips to help Data for Good practitioners get the most out of the Joint Statistical Meetings in Washington, DC.
Survey Research Methods News
The Survey Research Methods Section announces poster award winners, calls for topic-contributed session proposals, and discusses student travel awards.
Nominations for Gertrude M. Cox and Roger Herriot Awards Sought
Nominate a distinguished statistician for the 2017 Roger Herriot Award for Innovation in Federal Statistics and Gertrude M. Cox Award.
Student Paper Competition Award Winners Announced
Each year, the Social Statistics Section cosponsors a student paper competition with the Government Statistics Section and Survey Research Methods Section. Read about the winners and their papers.
Greetings from the Chair
John Thompson reflects the excitement of beginning his responsibilities as the 2011 chair of the Social Statistics Section and hopes to represent the membership in addressing its issues and concerns.
Rensis Likert
Rensis Likert made a tremendous impact on the development of social statistics. Read about his famous “Likert scale,” which has been adopted throughout the world, his service to the ASA, and how he set up the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan.