| History/Background | How to Arrange for a Seminar | How to become a SPES Speaker | |||
| Testimonials | Reimbursement Policy | Additional Link | Contact Information | ||
The Industrial Speakers Program was instituted by ASA’s Section on Physical and Engineering Sciences (SPES) several years ago to foster communications between industrial statisticians and academic statistics programs. The Speakers Program’s objective is to familiarize students with the role of statisticians in industry, an application area to which students often are not exposed. The program seeks to fill this gap by bringing experienced industrial statisticians to campus to talk directly with students about their work and industrial experiences. Speakers make a presentation and then often spend the rest of the day meeting one-on-one with faculty and students to further discuss research or common interests. The program is mutually beneficial to all - students gain valuable insight into industrial practice and speakers learn about current research and meet future colleagues. In order to facilitate such interactions, the Program subsidizes the cost of a seminar.
In memory of her late husband, Donald W. Marquardt (an ASA Fellow and former ASA President), Mrs. Margaret Marquardt made a generous donation of $25,000 to SPES. After reviewing several options, Mrs. Marquardt chose the SPES Industrial Speakers Program because of her husband’s long career in industry, and his strong interest in enhancing communication and interaction between industrial/applied statisticians and academic statisticians and students. The donation is being used as an endowment, with the interest used to augment SPES funding of the SPES Industrial Speakers Program. In recognition of the memorial donation, the program has been formally renamed as the SPES Marquardt Memorial Industrial Speakers Program.
Arranging a seminar is easy. The procedure is described in the following paragraphs. All pertinent information is located here within the SPES website - so please read on!
The host institution selects a speaker from the list and then contacts the SPES speaker directly to make arrangements, including the seminar format and subject matter. If so desired, the SPES Marquardt Memorial Industrial Speakers Program Chair may assist with selection of a suitable speaker. Once arrangements are made, the host institution contacts the Program Chair to pass on the details of the arrangement and request SPES approval. This is necessary in order to secure SPES funding for the seminar. Immediately after the seminar, the host fills out a host evaluation form and the speaker fills out a speaker evaluation form. These forms elicit comments regarding the effectiveness of the seminar. Feedback about seminars is very important and helps SPES improve the program. The host institution is also asked to provide a list of expenses, receipts (original receipts if possible), and a contact name and address to which the reimbursement check should be sent. Once the evaluation forms, expense list, receipts, and contact information are returned to the Program Chair, a reimbursement check will be forwarded to the host institution shortly thereafter.
Please note that the opinions and affiliations of SPES Industrial Speakers Program speakers do not necessarily reflect and are not necessarily representative of the ASA, SPES, or its members.
If you are an experienced industrial statistician and would like to tell the world about life as an industrial statistician, the SPES Industrial Speakers Program welcomes your participation. Speakers often give talks about an application or problem with which they have personally been involved. In addition, since the audience is made up of young, inexperienced students with little or no prior work experience, speakers are encouraged to address practical aspects of their work. For instance, a discussion of skills necessary for success in industry or what it is like to work with non-statisticians is beneficial. These points serve only as general guidelines; the speaker and host institution should agree on the seminar topic and format. Individuals interested in becoming a SPES speaker should contact the Program Chair.
Feedback from recent seminars has been very positive. SPES Speaker James Kenyon, following his day at University of Connecticut, commented:
"Overall, I found the day not only enjoyable, but successful in creating an exchange that I perceived as useful for all who attended. For me, additional value came from prearranged activities. I made sure to schedule time with faculty to discuss issues and their current research interests. I also met with some of the students over lunch. I commend the department for thinking of this and arranging a situation where more interaction could easily occur."
Another SPES Speaker, Jon Kettenring, had this to say:
" I was pleased to visit the University of Virginia as part of this program. They have very bright students, so it was fun to meet and interact with them. In turn, I hope I was able to give them a sense for the excitement of statistics at work in industry because we are counting on them to help us!"
Similarly, as one host institution replied, the seminar was "interesting and constructive for students" and went on to note that "the speaker even provided advice to faculty regarding how to train students for jobs in industry."
Another host, Ken Newman, University of Idaho, had this to say regarding a visit by Greg Piepel:
"Greg had a busy day with us. He met with myself, the Division Chair, and other faculty members and we learned about industrial statistics at Pacific NW National Laboratory. He also spent an hour with our statistics graduate students talking about career opportunities and that was extremely well received. His formal seminar talk concerned mixture experiments. It was a well organized and very well delivered talk at just the right level for statisticians who aren't experts in mixture modeling. ... In summary, the Division greatly enjoyed and benefited from Dr. Piepel's visit. We are very appreciative of the SPES sponsoring the Industrial Speaker's program - it is a real service."
The host institution will be reimbursed for seminar expenses up to a maximum of $500. This usually will include SPES speaker traveling expenses and costs of meals for the speaker and host on the day of the seminar. The SPES contribution is not to be used as an honorarium. A ceiling of $500 has been established in order to sustain the Program endowment. Original receipts (if possible), a breakdown of expenses, and host contact information (name, mailing address) must be sent to the Program Chair along with evaluation forms after the seminar. The host institution will then be reimbursed by check.
SPAIG (Statistical Partnerships among Academe, Industry, and Government) has a similar initiative promoting interaction between industry, government, and academic statisticians. A list of speakers and possible seminar topics can be found at the SPAIG website (http://www.stat.ufl.edu/spaig.html). Subject to SPES Speaker Program Chair approval, seminars given by speakers on the SPAIG list may be funded by SPES as well.
Academic departments interested in arranging a seminar with a SPES speaker or experienced industrial statisticians interested in participating in the Program are encouraged to contact the Industrial Speakers Program Chair for details.