Education in the age of data science was the theme this morning for a gathering of Statistics department chairs at the headquarters of the American Statistical Association (ASA) in Alexandria, Virginia. The emergence of analytics and data science degree programs has dramatically shifted the academic landscape and repositioned Statistics faculty at the center of one of the most important new developments in professional graduate education in the past few decades. What remains unclear for many universities is how to best organize and deliver high quality programs that turn out the kind of graduates industry is looking to hire.
The Institute’s director Dr. Michael Rappa was a featured speaker along with: Dr. Andrew Moore, dean of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University; Dr. Sarah Nusser. vice president for research and a professor of statistics at Iowa State University; Dr. Chris Malone, assistant professor of statistics at Winona State University; and Dr. Christopher Wiggins, chief data scientist for the New York Times and associate professor of applied mathematics at Columbia University. The panel was organized and moderated by Dr. David Hunter, professor and department head at Penn State University.
The American Statistical Association is the world’s largest community of statisticians, the “Big Tent for Statistics.” It is the second-oldest, continuously operating professional association in the country. Since it was founded in Boston in 1839, the ASA has supported excellence in the development, application, and dissemination of statistical science through meetings, publications, membership services, education, accreditation, and advocacy. Its members serve in industry, government, and academia in more than 90 countries, advancing research and promoting sound statistical practice to inform public policy and improve human welfare.