The ASA Committee on Minority in Statistics (CMS), assisted by the Social Statistics Section, sponsored two conferences for undergraduates, one on November 10, 2001 at Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, and one on April 13, 2002, at Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia. The purpose of these conferences was to stimulate an interest in African American undergraduate students in the statistical sciences and to provide information about graduate school and employment opportunities available to statisticians in the many different areas of industry, government and academia.
Spelman, November 10, 2001
The committee sponsored its first Mini Statfest on Saturday, November 10, 2001, at Spelman College for students in the Atlanta University Center. Drs. Nagambal Shah (Professor, Spelman College) and Gladys Reynolds (Senior Statistician, CDC) were conference coordinators. Dr. Sylvia Bozeman, Associate Provost for Science and Mathematics, Spelman College and Dr. Shah welcomed the students and speakers. Leading scientists, statisticians and graduate students presented to approximately 150 students from the Atlanta University Center (includes Spelman College, Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Morris Brown College) on opportunities in the field of statistics. A continental breakfast and lunch was served to the students and speakers. The CMS, the Social Statistics Section and the Statistics in Epidemiology Section provided the funding for the meeting. Almost all speakers provided their own funding for travel. For the opening session Dr. Walter W. Williams, Associate Director for Minority Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gave the keynote address, "Statisticians Shape the Nation's Health." He emphasized the contributions of statisticians in planning and implementing large studies and surveys that provide information on the health and well being of the nation and that shape our health policy.
The theme of the conference was Statistics in Industry, Government and Academia. The speakers included Drs. Amita Manatunga and F. DuBois Bowman (Emory University), Dr. Lynn Seymour (University of Georgia), Dr. Kimberly Weems ( NC State University) and Dr. Jann Primus (Spelman College), who discussed research in the academia and other graduate school related topics.
A student panel consisting of graduate students Demarc A. Hickson, Jennifer S. Jenkins and Zaneta J. Gaul from Emory University and Cathleen Gillespie and Marlow Lemons from the University of Georgia addressed graduate school issues from student perspectives. Presenting the role of statistics in industry were Drs. Randy Davis and Tonya Smoot from GlaxoSmithKline and Ms. Cynthia Wallace from GE Card Services. Representatives discussing the role of statistics in the government sector were Drs. Bill Jenkins, Benedict Truman and Gladys Reynolds from the Centers for Disease Control. Drs. Monica Stephens (Spelman College) and Dr. Arthur Jones (Morehouse College) served as moderators. This Statfest, our first conference to reach out to minority institutions, serves as a model for other efforts both at minority and nonminority institutions.
Hampton, April 13, 2002
A second Mini Statfest was held at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia on April 13, 2002. This conference was sponsored by the ASA Committee on Minorities in Statistics, Social Statistics and Statistics in Epidemiology Sections, the CDC Office of Minority Health and Minority Health Activities Program National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, and the GE Fund Six Sigma Tools for Mathematics and Engineering at HU. It was hosted by the Department of Mathematics and School of Engineering and Technology at Hampton University. Undergraduate science students and faculty advisors from the neighboring Historically Black Colleges and Universities including Norfolk State University and Virginia Union University participated.
Conference Coordinators were Dr. Douglas DePriest, Associate Professor, Mathematics Department, Dr. Carolyn Morgan, Chair, Mathematics Department, and Dr. Gladys Reynolds. Dr. Morris H. Morgan III, Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology, and Dr. DePriest gave welcoming remarks. For the opening session Dr. Fritz J. Scheuren, Vice President for Statistics, National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago, and Chair, Social Statistics Section, ASA, gave the keynote address, "Statistical Disaster and Success Stories?"
Speakers and moderators again included representatives from industry, government
and academia. Moderators included Drs. Claudia Rankins, Camellia Okpodu, Christopher
Washington and Kim Ward. Speakers included: Drs. Robert Bell, Randy Davis and
Christopher Stanard from industry; Drs. Hazel Dean, Maya Sternberg, Tommy Wright,
Dionne Price and Gladys Reynolds from government. From academia, Dr. Sastry Pantula,
Director of Graduate Programs at NC State University, and Drs. Geoff Vining and
Jeff Birch, Chair and Director of Graduate Programs at Virginia Tech respectively,
and Dr. Kimberly Weems and Brandy Nicole Rutledge presented. Graduate students
from North Carolina state University and Virginia Commonwealth University attended
and provided valuable insight about the graduate programs at their respective
institutions. Again, we are very appreciative of the support we received from
Hampton University, AT&T Research Labs, GlaxoSmithKline, GE Research and Development,
CDC, US Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Bureau of Census, Virginia Commonwealth
University, NC State University, and Virginia Tech. I especially express my gratitude
to Drs. Shah, Morgan, and DePriest. To organize and create conferences like this
requires not only a lot of work but a dedication to the statistical profession
and more diversity in our field.