Kobi Abayomi once dreamed of becoming a physicist, but switched majors after he took his first class in statistics at Georgia Institute of Technology. Today, is head of science for Gumbel Demand Acceleration—a Software as a Service (SaaS) company for digital media—and Betaside Recordings, both data science startups at the intersection of demand and supply curves for musicians, artists, and music listeners. He also holds an appointment at Seton Hall University, where he teaches in the undergraduate and master’s in data science program.
statistician
Journal of Statistics and Data Science Education: January Issue Takes on Difficult History of Statistics
The January issue of JSDSE leads with a paper that recounts the difficult past of statistics, notably the role of eugenics in the development of the field. The author argues we must confront our history to move forward and provides guidance for addressing the troubling history in the classroom.
Celebrating Black History Month 2024
In celebration of Black History Month, we recognize eight individuals from the Black/African American collective who have made contributions to the statistics field as mentors, professors, and entrepreneurs.
Christophe Toukam Tchakoute
Christophe Toukam Tchakoute grew up in Cameroon during the peak of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which is how he became interested in STEM. His interest was reinforced when he attended the University of Cape Town in South Africa and became curious about the chemistry and cell biology of HIV and how the virus can hijack the immune system for its own benefit. Consequently, he interned in the HIV/AIDS department at the World Health Organization and was introduced to epidemiology and biostatistics. He now works at Genentech and leverages statistics and real-world data to inform clinical trial design for different oncology programs.
Lloyd J. Edwards
Lloyd Edwards earned a master’s in mathematical statistics at the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1982 and then worked for TRW Defense Systems for three years as a software engineer focusing on antisubmarine warfare. He graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1990 with a PhD in biostatistics, leading to a career as a faculty member in the University of North Carolina Department of Biostatistics for close to 25 years. Since 2017, Edwards has been a professor in the department of biostatistics in the school of public health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Nicholas Horton Honored with Mosteller Statistician of the Year Award
Horton was recognized for his numerous innovative contributions to statistics and data science education and his significant participation in regional statistics activities for more than 25 years.
Critical Race Theory and Statistical Analysis: What You Need to Know
To explain and motivate the importance of critical race theory to statisticians, the JEDI Outreach Group sponsored the 2023 Joint Statistical Meetings session titled Critical Race Theory for Statisticians: Incorporating CRT into Statistical Analysis. Here, Emily Griffith summarizes the highlights.
Early-Career Women Share Journeys from Student to Biostatistician
The Caucus for Women in Statistics hosted a virtual conference for the International Day of Women in Statistics and Data Science October 10. Dooti Roy, Bhramori Banerjee, Hiya Banerjee, and Arinjita Bhattacharyya shared some of their experiences.
Call for Nominations: Rousseeuw Prize for Statistics
The $1 million prize recognizes an outstanding contribution or tool that has had significant impact and found wide application in statistical practice with relevance to society.
Empower Progress: Donate on ASA Giving Day
Giving Day is a day when members and friends of the ASA come together to make a lasting impact so the ASA can provide programs leading to a world that relies on data and statistical thinking to drive discovery and inform decisions.