News & Announcements

Archived News

Archived press releases can be found in the News Room.

2011

• ASA Board Member Elected to Institute of Medicine
  Roderick J. Little, PhD, a member of the ASA Board of Directors, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in recognition of his outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. Election to the IOM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. IOM President Harvey V. Fineberg said, "Each of these new members stands out as a professional whose research, knowledge, and skills have significantly advanced health and medicine, and their achievements are an inspiration." Dr. Little is Richard D. Remington Collegiate Professor, department of biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor.
• ASA Member Christopher A. Sims and Thomas Sargent Win Nobel for Economics
• Best Practices Guide for Use of Statistics in Public Relations
  The ASA and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) recently collaborated to create a best-practices guide for the use of statistics in public relations campaigns. The guide was developed by a joint ASA-PRSA task force.
• 2011 ASA "Promoting the Practice and Profession of Statistics" Video Competition Winners Announced
  The Public Awareness Group of the American Statistical Association (ASA) is pleased to announce the winners of the "Promoting the Practice and Profession of Statistics" video competition. The judges were amazed at the overall quality of the videos, and because it was difficult to choose just one as the winner, they chose three.
• ASA 2011 Election Results
  Here are the 2011 election results for the 2012 ASA Board of Directors and other ASA Offices. Officers’ terms begin January 1, 2012. The Charter revisions are effective immediately.
• Journal of Consumer Research names editors
  The Journal of Consumer Research Policy Board recently announced new co-editors of the Journal of Consumer Research. Mary Frances Luce, Ann L. McGill, and Laura Peracchio will begin their three-year term July 1, 2011. JCR would like ASA members to be aware of the journal as a possible outlet for their research with consumer focus.
  
  The JCR Policy Board is comprised of representatives of eleven organizations, including Michel Wedel of ASA. Other current board members are Itamar Simonson (American Marketing Association), Rob Kozinets (American Anthropological Association), Linda L. Price (American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences), Barbara Bickart (American Association for Public Opinion Research), Juliet Schor (American Sociological Association), John Lynch (Association for Consumer Research), Leigh McAlister (INFORMS), Ronald Faber (International Communication Association), Durairaj Maheswaran (Society for Consumer Psychology), and Norbert Schwarz (Society for Personality and Social Psychology).
• Bob Groves Elected to NAS
  ASA Member Robert M. Groves, Director, U.S. Census Bureau, has been elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He is one of 72 new NAS members and 18 foreign associates from 15 countries who were recognized for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
• NRC Rankings of Graduate Programs Revised
  The National Research Council released a revision to correct some major errors in the rankings of US Graduate Programs that were published last September.
• Think Quarterly -- The Data Issue
  Google recently distributed Think Quarterly, a short book about data, to some of its partners and advertisers in the UK. They also have a companion website, thinkquarterly.co.uk (also available at m.thinkquarterly.co.uk, for the mobile among us). On the site, you can download the data issue, which you may find of interest.
• Young Professionals Website Launched
• ASA SA Chapter 2011 Don Owen Award Winner: Dennis K. J. Lin
• FY11 Budget Deal Impacts Science and Statistical Agencies
• COPSS to provide guidance on measures of hospital outcomes
  The Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies (COPSS) may be contracted to provide guidance on the appropriateness of statistical modeling for measures of hospital outcomes. Each of the COPSS societies has appointed a member to this COPSS Committee to fulfill its commitment. Arlene Ash will represent ASA; Stephen Fienberg, IMS; Sharon-Lise Normand, ENAR; Therese Stukel, SSC; and Jessica Utts, WNAR. COPSS Chair Xihong Lin appointed Tom Louis to chair the group, which holds its first meeting April 21-22 at ASA. The group’s work will be completed in the fall. Any questions and materials for the committee can be sent to ASA’s Keith Crank or Steve Pierson, who are acting as staff.
• Urge Congress to Support Research Budgets
• Statistician is fourth-best job for 2011
• Numb3rs Creators Awarded JPBM Communications Award
  Cheryl Heuton and Nicolas Falacci were selected to receive the 2010 Joint Policy Board for Mathematics (JPBM) Communications Award for their positive portrayal of the power and fun of mathematics through their hit TV series, Numb3rs. As creators of the program, Heuton and Falacci consistently showed audiences the beauty and power of mathematics. Numb3rs provided the general public with a glimpse of the mathematical world, its depth and its power, in a way that connected with a broad spectrum of viewers. With creativity and cleverness, their work, which includes 119 episodes over six seasons, made its fans aware of the ubiquity of mathematics in their daily lives.
  
  The duo have generously donated their prize to the MATHCOUNTS Foundation, a national enrichment, club and competition program that promotes middle school mathematics achievement. Falacci and Heuton also have been recognized by the National Science Board with its Public Service Award and are the recipients of the Carl Sagan Public Understanding of Science Award. You may view Heuton’s and Falacci’s acceptance speech here.
• 40 Fascinating Blogs for the Ultimate Statistics Geek
• StatsCan Names New Chief Statistician

2010

• Statisticians Elected as AAAS Fellows
  In December 2010, the American Association for the Advancement of Science Council elected 503 members as Fellows of AAAS. These individuals will be recognized for their contributions to science and technology at the Fellows Forum to be held on 19 February 2011 during the AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. The new Fellows will receive a certificate and a blue and gold rosette as a symbol of their distinguished accomplishments. Statisticians elected are: Douglas Arnold, University of Minnesota; H. T. Banks, North Carolina State University; Lynda Carlson, NSF; Timothy G. Gregoire, Yale University; John P. Lehoczky, Carnegie Mellon University; Marepalli Bhaskara Rao, University of Cincinnati; James L. Rosenberger, Pennsylvania State University; Jane-Ling Wang, University of California, Davis; Larry Alan Wasserman, Carnegie Mellon University; Linda J. Young, University of Florida; and Hongyu Zhao, Yale School of Public Health. Read the complete list of Fellows here.
• Memo Directs Government Agencies to Allow Scientists’ Full Participation in Professional Societies
• Significance Website Launches
• ASA Members Elected as Fellows of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences
  The following three ASA members have been elected as 2010 Fellows of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences: Robert M. Groves, Director, U.S. Census Bureau; Joseph B. Kadane, Carnegie Mellon University; and Roderick J. A. Little, University of Michigan and U.S. Census Bureau.
• Wired Recognizes Need for Statistical Literacy
• NRC Rankings Released
• Statisticians’ Video Mourns 2011 Long-form Census
• Subra Suresh Confirmed as NSF Director
• CHANCE Editor Chosen
• National Academies Launch Study of Research Universities
• SPAIG committee needs volunteers to serve on its Advisory Boards and Review Teams for Academic Statistics Programs
  As one of its initiatives, SPAIG (Statistics Partnerships among Academe, Industry, and Government) is in the process of updating its list of Advisory Boards and Review Teams for Academic Statistics Programs to be posted on its website. The purpose is to provide a list of statisticians working in government or industry that have interests in serving as advisors to academic statistics programs. This is an important function and a significant service to the statistics community. If you would like to be included in this list please send your name and contact information to Morteza Marzjarani.
• JABES Editor Named
• ASA Supports Opposition to Changes in Canadian Census
• Nathaniel Schenker Appointed to Head NCHS Office of Research and Methodology
• Caucus of Academic Representatives Elects New Officers
• Sally Morton Appointed Chair of Biostatistics at Pitt's Graduate School of Public Health
• Roderick Little to take post at Census Bureau
• Robert Rodriguez Elected as 107th ASA President. View complete election results.
• Slides, Audio and Video from May 11 Climate Science Congressional Briefing Now Available
• U.S. News & World Report - Annual Statistics Graduate School Rankings
  In April 2010, US News & World Report released a ranking of Ph.D. programs in statistics and biostatistics. This ranking lumps statistics and biostatistics programs together. From this ranking, we have separated the statistics and biostatistics departments and created two lists. Statistics is available here, and biostatistics is available here. The full list, with the scores and methodology is available from US News here.
• Javier Rojo Wins 2010 Don Owen Award
• The National Institute of Statistical Science (NISS) and the American Statistical Association (ASA) will hold a writing workshop for junior researchers. The one-day session is scheduled for Sunday, August 1, in Vancouver, BC.
• Feedback: Odds Are, It’s Wrong
  In response to the March 27 Science News article "Odds Are, It’s Wrong," members of the ASA wrote a letter to the editor citing the writer’s failure to clearly distinguish between the misuses of statistics and its methodological limitations. The letter, as edited by the magazine, was printed in the May 8 issue (Page 32) and is now online. Read the unedited version here.
• Donald M. Berwick, 2008 Deming Lecturer, Nominated to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Three ASA Members Selected as 2010 Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Robert M. Groves, Director, U.S. Census Bureau / Professor of Sociology, University of Michigan; Joseph B. Kadane, Leonard J. Savage University Professor of Statistics and Social Sciences, Emeritus, Carnegie Mellon University; and Roderick Joseph Alexander Little, Richard Remington Collegiate Professor; Chair, Department of Biostatistics; Research Professor, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.)
• ASA Members Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
• Transcript from Live Q&A on Status of Climate Change Science available online
• ASA Encourages Its U.S. Members to Fill Out and Return their Census Forms Promptly
• Call for Nominations for 2010 Don Owen Award

2009

• The ASA’s voluntary accreditation program is under way and the Accreditation Implementation Committee has been formed.
• ASA signs letter to U.S. Senators on climate change
• ASA Board of Directors Endorses NIF Proposal
• Statistics One of Five Majors That Will Help You Get a Job
• Two Named Truly 'Significant' Poster Award Winners
• ASA Longtime Members
• BJS Workshop on Quantitative Analysis of Crime and Criminal Justice Data
• ASA 2009 Election Results
• Praise and Prescriptions for the Federal Statistical System
• Richard A. Johnson Wins 2009 Don Owen Award
• ASA Members Elected to National Academy of Sciences
• ASA Members Named SIAM Fellows
• Third Annual International Symposium on Evaluation of Clinical Trials Methodologies with Applications, Design of Clinical Trials, and Frontiers of Data Analysis Call for Papers
• NISS/ASA Writing Workshop for Junior Researchers
• AAPOR Finds Gilbert Burnham in Violation of Ethics Code
• BBC Six-Part Primer on Understanding Statistics in the News
• John H. Thompson Named President of NORC
• Change to Online Subscription Service
• Study from CareerCast.com ranks statistician as third best job in the U.S.
• CHANCE magazine now available online to ASA subscribers.
• Amstat News is now available online.
• ASA Unveils New Web Site
  The American Statistical Association is pleased to announce the availability of its newly redesigned web site. The goal of the redesign was to create a clean, contemporary look, and say more with fewer words. We also sought to improve the way in which we presented information to internal (volunteers, officers, staff) and external (general membership, media, the public) audiences.

2008

• Statistics in Defense and National Security (SDNS) University Speakers Program