ASA Headlines

Statistics2013 Launch Video Released

The International Year of Statistics launch video is now available for you to view, use, and distribute.

Created by SAS Institute, the video portrays the many ways statistics affects our lives.

Titled Improving Human Welfare in 2013 International Year of Statistics, the video is accessible via the Statistics2013 website.

We encourage you to view the video; post it to your organization's website; share it with your organization's stakeholders; promote it to the public, media, and other external audiences in your area; and show it at your organization's meetings and other events. We also encourage you to email the link to your coworkers.

Members of the Statistics2013 Steering Committee send a special thank you to SAS leadership and staff for their support of the International Year of Statistics and especially for developing and producing the Statistics2013 launch video.

Seventeen Members Elected Fellows of AAAS

Last month, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) council elected 701 members as Fellows. These individuals will be recognized in February for their contributions to science and technology at the Fellows forum during the AAAS annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. More...

Applications Sought for Editor of JASA/TAS Reviews

The ASA is seeking applications for Reviews Editor for the Journal of the American Statistical Association and The American Statistician. Applications for JASA/TAS Reviews Editor should be sent electronically to journals@amstat.org, and should include a CV; the names of 3 references; and a letter of interest in the position including a brief statement of the candidate's vision for the section, directions the candidate would pursue, and contributions she or he would make if selected as editor.

The deadline for applications is February 15, 2013.

Additional information on the Reviews Editor's duties can be found here.

Give the gift of Significance to your local high school!

Help your local high school introduce the power of statistics to our children through a tax-deductible gift subscription to Significance magazine. Significance articles are non-technical, appealing to everyone interested in statistics and the analysis and interpretation of data. It communicates and demonstrates, in an entertaining and thought-provoking way, the practical use of statistics in all walks of life and shows how statistics benefit society. Provide your local high school with a subscription today.

ASA Conference on Statistical Practice 2013: Registration Now Open!

The ASA invites you to join us at the 2013 Conference on Statistical Practice.

The 2nd annual CSP will help you learn how to apply new statistical techniques to your job, how to better communicate with your customers, and how to have a positive impact on your organization.

The conference will focus on four primary themes:
     • Communication, Impact and Career Development
     • Data Modeling and Analysis
     • Prediction and Analytics
     • Software and Graphics

CSP 2013 will offer full-day and half-day short courses; an opening session with a keynote address; two full days of concurrent paper and poster sessions; focused, innovative tutorials; a practical computing expo; and exhibits. Watch for upcoming announcements and important deadlines. View the online program for details. Register today.

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Nominate a Colleague for ASA Fellow

The ASA Fellows Committee is currently accepting nominations for 2013 Fellows. Please visit www.amstat.org/awards/fellows.cfm to access the online nomination form and view a current list of ASA Fellows. The site also contains examples of forms, letters of support, draft citations, and other information to assist nominators and nominees.

Interested in Becoming an Accredited Professional Statistician™?

The American Statistical Association has recently expanded the benefits of becoming an Accredited Professional Statistician™. ASA Accreditation is a portfolio-based credential available to only ASA members. It is completely voluntary and intended for those who think such a credential would be meaningful in their professional lives.

Learn more, View extra benefits, or Request an Application

Winner of Free ASA Membership

Congratulations to Ikechukwu Kenneth Ugwuoke, winner of the October drawing for FREE ASA membership.

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Other Recent Headlines

Former Census Director Charles Louis Kincannon Passes Away

Former Census Director Charles Louis Kincannon passed away the night of December 14. A member of the ASA for more than 35 years, Kincannon was director of the U.S. Census Bureau from 2002 to 2008. A short biography is available on the Census Bureau website. Also, his obituary can be found here. The leadership and staff of the American Statistical Association express their condolences to Kincannon's family and friends.

ASA President Asks ASA Members to Help Avoid Steep Budget Cuts to NSF, NIH, and Federal Statistical Agencies

ASA President Bob Rodriguez contacted ASA members in the United States early this month asking that they urge their senators and representatives to prevent the 8.2% cuts to NSF, NIH, and the federal statistical agencies set to take effect in January. Rodriguez warned the cuts would mean statisticians and biostatisticians seeing far fewer funding opportunities and statistical agencies having to scale back their vital work. Rodriguez's email provided three ways to communicate this message to elected officials. For more information, see this ASA Community blog entry.

Franklin, Gould Talk K-12 Stats Ed on Google+

On Nov. 28, ASA members Christine Franklin and Rob Gould were featured guests during a Google+ Policy by the Numbers Hangout on Air talk about K-12 statistics education. With the ever-increasing number of students taking AP Statistics each year and the inclusion of statistics in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, Franklin and Gould addressed the value of statistical literacy, the increasing interest among students, preparing teachers for teaching statistics, and the importance of teaching students using real data sets. Click here to watch this informative session.

ASA Supports Risk-Limiting Audits

ASA President Bob Rodriguez has sent a letter in support of a white paper–Risk-Limiting Post-Election Audits: Why and How–that provides guidance to state lawmakers for writing legislation and regulations to implement risk-limiting audits. Rodriguez sent the letter to ASA member Philip Stark, who organized and led the group that authored the white paper, shortly after the election. Members of the Risk-Limiting Audits Working Group included election officials, researchers, and election advocates. In the letter, Rodriguez praises Stark and the working group: "I believe that legislators, legislative aides, state and local election officials, and election integrity advocates should read your paper and follow its guidance in implementing risk-limiting audits." The letter also reviews ASA's prior support for risk-limiting audits and the role of statistics in election integrity.

Comments Wanted for How to Better Support the Statistical Sciences Within NSF

"StatsNSF," the committee recently charged with examining the current structure of support for the statistical sciences within the National Science Foundation (NSF), is requesting the American Statistical Association's help in gathering comments from the statistical community. Please send your comments for how to bolster statistics at NSF to president@amstat.org. Read more here.

Call for Nominations: Excellence in Statistical Reporting Award

The committee on Excellence in Statistical Reporting is now accepting nominations for its 2013 award. The award is designed to encourage and recognize members of the communications media who have best displayed an informed interest in the science of statistics and its role in public life. The award can be given for a single statistical presentation or for sustained worthy contributions, as would clearly be a credit to the statistical profession.

For additional information please contact Morteza Marzjarani. Instructions and the Nomination form can be found here.

Call for Nominations for 2013 Don Owen Award

The San Antonio Chapter is currently accepting nominations for the 2013 Don Owen Award from ASA chapters in North America. The nominee must be a member of the ASA, but is not required to be a member of the nominating chapter. The deadline for nominations is February 1, 2013. Read the full solicitation.