GSS/SSS NOVEMBER 2009 NEWSLETTER
           Government Statistics and Social Statistics Sections
                    American Statistical Association
 
           GSS web site: http://www.amstat.org/sections/sgovt/
           SSS web site: http://www.amstat.org/sections/ssoc/
 
            GSS Publications Officer:  Sonya L. Vartivarian
                  (SVartivarian@Mathematica-MPR.com)
 
             SSS Publications Officer:  Carrie Dennis
                   (carrie.r.dennis@census.gov)
 
             Newsletter Editor: Natalya Verbitsky Savitz
                  (NVSavitz@Mathematica-MPR.com)

IN THIS ISSUE: 

•        Call For Candidates To Run for The SSS Executive Board     NEW!
•        Planning for JSM 2010: Volunteers to Chair Contributed Sessions 
•        Planning for JSM 2010: Call For Contributed Session Abstracts
•        Planning for JSM 2010: Student Paper Competition
•        GSS and SSS Sponsored Roundtables for JSM 2010 
•        Herriot Award Nominations Sought

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPCOMING DEADLINES AND EVENTS:

November 20, 2009 :             Deadline for Submitting Nominations for SSS
                                Executive Board

December 18, 2009 :             Deadline for Submitting to the 2010 Student
                                Paper Competition 

December 1 – February 1, 2010 : Abstract Submission Open for 2010 JSM
                                Contributed Sessions

April 1, 2010 :                 Herriot Award Nomination Deadline

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


CALL FOR CANDIDATES TO RUN FOR THE SSS EXECUTIVE BOARD     NEW!

Submitted by Allen Schirm, 2009 SSS Chair

The SSS nominating committee consisting of the current chair, chair-elect, and
past chair is preparing the slate of candidates for the elections to be held
next Spring.  If you are interested in running or want more information, please
contact Allen Schirm, the Chair of the Social Statistics Section
(aschirm@mathematica-mpr.com). Both nominations of others and self-nominations
are welcome. Please submit nominations by November 20, 2009.

Open positions in SSS: 2012 Chair, 2012 JSM Program Chair, and Publications
officer for 2011-2012.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PLANNING FOR JSM 2010: VOLUNTEERS TO CHAIR CONTRIBUTED SESSIONS

Submitted by Joseph Salvo, SSS 2010 Program Chair, and Lisa Blumerman, GSS 2010
Program Chair 

If you are going to attend the 2010 Joint Statistical Meetings in Vancouver
(July 31 - August 5, 2010) and wish to volunteer as a contributed session chair
for SSS or GSS-sponsored sessions, please contact Joseph Salvo (SSS 2010
Program Chair, jsalvo@planning.nyc.gov) or Lisa Blumerman (GSS 2010 Program
Chair, lisa.m.blumerman@census.gov).  Complete details are provided below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PLANNING FOR JSM 2010: CALL FOR CONTRIBUTED SESSION ABSTRACTS

The 2010 SSS and GSS program chairs encourage you to organize a contributed
session and submit an abstract for the 2010 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM). 
The theme of JSM 2010 will be "Statistics: A Key to Innovation in a Data-Centric
World."  There are two types of contributed sessions: regular and
topic-contributed.  Before you submit an abstract to ASA for a topic-contributed
session, please contact Joseph Salvo (SSS 2010 Program Chair) or Lisa Blumerman
(GSS 2010 Program Chair) at the email addresses above.  They will keep track of
the sessions SSS or GSS may either sponsor or co-sponsor.

Parameters for contributed session options are listed below.  Please plan ahead.
All abstracts must be submitted online at the ASA website from December 1, 2009
through February 1, 2010.  

Topic-contributed paper session: 

•        110 minutes in length; collection of contributed talks & discussions
         that share a common topic
•        Must be 5 presentations (including discussants) of 20 minutes each,
         with 10 minutes of floor discussion at the end
•        Three format options: five (5) papers; OR four (4) papers and one (1)
         discussant; OR three (3) papers and two (2) discussants
•        All speakers must submit an abstract to ASA, and indicate they are in
         a topic-contributed session (give the name of the organizer)
•        Coordinate through the JSM program committee member


Topic-contributed panel session: 

•        110 minutes in length; panel discussion format; panel members provide
         commentary on a particular topic 
•        Minimum of three (3) and maximum of five (5) panelists; panels each
         require ONE abstract submitted by the organizer
•        Coordinate through the JSM program committee member


Topic-contributed poster cluster:
 
•        Three (3) to six (6) posters on a related topic - theme can be applied,
         methodology-related, or theoretical


Regular contributed session: 

•        110 minutes in length 
•        Opening remarks by session chair (5 minutes), followed by six (6) or
         seven (7) speakers (15 minutes each) 
•        If 6 speakers: 15 minutes of floor discussion at the end; if 7
         speakers: no discussant or floor discussion


Contributed poster: 

•        110 minute session
•        8 ft by 4 ft board

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PLANNING FOR JSM 2010: STUDENT PAPER COMPETITION

The Social Statistics, Government Statistics, and Survey Research Methods
Sections are pleased to announce a competition for student and post-graduate
papers to be presented at the Joint Statistical Meetings in Vancouver, on
July 31 – August 5, 2010.  At least five awards will be granted.  Winning
papers are presented by the authors at a JSM session and recognized at the
Sections’ business meetings.  A subsidy of up to $800 is provided to each
winner to cover JSM 2010 expenses.

To be eligible to participate you must be a current undergraduate, graduate
student at any level, or a 2009 graduate who presents research conducted as
a student.  Faculty members are urged to encourage students to apply for these
awards.

Papers entered in this competition must involve either a new statistical
methodology, or a creative application of statistical analysis to a problem,
issue, or policy question pertinent to the subject area of one of the sponsoring
sections.  The research does not have to be complete, but competitors must be
able to submit an abstract prospectus that describes the planned research and
nature of the intended innovation(s).

To apply, please send the requested materials below to Joseph Salvo (SSS 2010
Program Chair), Lisa Blumerman (GSS 2010 Program Chair), or Michael Elliott
(SRMS 2010 Program Chair) at the email addresses listed above.

The application must include: 

1.       a cover letter with the applicant’s name, current affiliation and
         status, and contact information (address, telephone, e-mail);
2.       an abstract (300 words maximum);
3.       a draft paper (if available); otherwise, a 3-page research
         prospectus; and
4.       a letter from his/her adviser that certifies the applicant’s
         status (e.g., current student or new graduate who completed the degree
                 within the past year), and describes plans to complete the research.  

All materials must be received by 5 PM EST, December 18, 2009.  Winners will be
notified by mid-January 2010.

If a student receives an award from more than one section, he/she must
immediately inform the other cosponsoring sections and decline one of the
awards.

Please refer to the section websites below for updates: 

Social Statistics Section         http://www.amstat.org/sections/ssoc/ 
Government Statistics Section     http://www.amstat.org/sections/sgovt/ 
Survey Research Methods Section   http://www.amstat.org/sections/SRMS/index.html 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GSS AND SSS SPONSORED ROUNDTABLES FOR JSM 2010 

Submitted by Iris Shimizu, GSS 2011 Program Chair-Elect, and Nancy Clusen, SSS
2011 Program Chair-Elect 

The 2011 Program Chairs-Elect for GSS and SSS, Iris Shimizu and Nancy Clusen
respectively, are responsible for organizing roundtables for JSM 2010.  If you
are interested in hosting a roundtable lunch or breakfast please contact
either Iris (ishimizu@cdc.gov) or Nancy (NClusen@Mathematica-Mpr.com).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HERRIOT AWARD NOMINATIONS SOUGHT

Submitted by Frank Potter, Chair of the Herriot Award Committee GSS COPAFS
Representative, 2009-2010

Nominations are sought for the 2010 Roger Herriot Award for Innovation in
Federal Statistics.  The award is intended to reflect the special
characteristics that marked Roger Herriot's career:

•        Dedication to the issues of measurement;
•        Improvements in the efficiency of data collection programs; and
•        Improvements and use of statistical data for policy analysis.

The award is not limited to senior members of an organization, nor is it to be
considered as a culmination of a long period of service. Individuals at all
levels within Federal statistical agencies, other government organizations,
nonprofit organizations, the private sector, and the academic community may
be nominated on the basis of their contributions.

The recipient of the 2010 Roger Herriot Award will be chosen by a committee
comprising representatives of the Social Statistics and Government Statistics
Sections of the American Statistical Association, and of the Washington
Statistical Society. Roger Herriot was associated with, and strongly supportive
of, these organizations during his career. The award consists of a $1,000
honorarium and a framed citation, which will be presented at a ceremony at
the Joint Statistical Meetings in August 2010. The Washington Statistical
Society will also host a seminar given by the winner on a subject of his or
her own choosing.

The previous recipients of the Roger Herriot Award are Joseph Waksberg (Westat),
Monroe Sirken (NCHS), Constance Citro (CNStat), Roderick Harrison (Census
Bureau), Clyde Tucker (BLS), Thomas Jabine (SSA, EIA, CNStat), Donald Dillman
(Washington State University), Jeanne Griffith (OMB, NCES, NSF), Daniel
Weinberg (Census Bureau), David Banks (FDA, BTS, NIST), Paula Schneider
(Census Bureau), Robert E. Fay III (Census Bureau), Nathaniel Schenker (NCHS),
Nancy Kirkendall (EIA), Elizabeth Martin (Census Bureau), and Lynda Carlson
(NSF).  

Nominations for the 2010 award will be accepted beginning in February 2010. 
Nomination packages should contain:

•        A cover letter from the nominator that should include references to
         specific examples of the nominee’s contributions to innovation in
                 Federal statistics. These contributions can be to methodology,
                 procedure, organization, administration, or other areas of Federal
                 statistics, and need not have been made by or while a Federal employee.
•        Up to six additional letters in support that demonstrate the
         innovativeness of each contribution.
•        A current vita for the nominee, including contact information.


Both individual and group nominations may be submitted. The committee may
consider nominations made for prior years, but it encourages resubmission of
those nominations with updated information.

For more information, contact Frank Potter, Chair, 2010 Roger Herriot Award
Committee, at 609-936-2799 or FPotter@Mathematica-MPR.com.  Completed packages
must be received by April 1, 2010. Electronic submissions in MS-Word or as
a "pdf" file are strongly encouraged.  Please contact the chair if you need to
make arrangements to fax or mail a nomination.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                       GOVERNMENT STATISTICS SECTION

The mission of the Government Statistics Section (GSS) is to promote the
use of sound statistical theory and methods in the production of data at
all levels of government - be it Federal, State, local, or international;
assist in the broad dissemination of those data; and encourage good
statistical practice by all users.  Areas of interest for the Section
include all that involve the production, dissemination, and application of
governmental statistics, including concern with statistical policy issues,
quality and usefulness of governmental data products, special problems of
State and local data, comparability of data among different countries, and
the role of professional statisticians in the public sector.


                           OFFICERS AND CONTACTS

|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|
|  Robert Lussier                      | Sonya Vartivarian                    |
|  Chair, 2009                         | Publications Officer, 2007-10        |
|  robert.lussier@statcan.ca           | SVartivarian@mathematica-mpr.com     |
|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|
|  John S. Dixon                       | Stephen H. Cohen                     |
|  Chair-Elect, 2009                   | COPAFS Rep, 2009-10                  |
|  Dixon_J@bls.gov                     | scohen@nsf.gov                       |
|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|
|  Carol C. House                      |  Stephanie Shipp                     |
|  Past-Chair, 2009                    |  COPAFS Rep, 2008-09                 |
|  carol_house@nass.usda.gov           |  stephanie.shipp@nist.gov            |
|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|
|  Sunghee Lee                         |  Natalya Verbitsky Savitz            |
|  Program Chair, 2009                 |  Newsletter Editor                   |
|  slee9@ucla.edu                      |  NVSavitz@Mathematica-MPR.com        |
|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|
|  Lisa M. Blumerman                   |  Bill Wong                           |
|  Program Chair-Elect, 2009           |  Assistant Editor, Amstat Online     |
|  lisa.m.blumerman@census.gov         |  bjwg@yahoo.com                      |
|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|
|  Lester R. Curtin                    |  Tai Phan                            |
|  Secretary/Treasurer, 2007-10        |  GSSLIST Coordinator                 |
|  lrc2@cdc.gov                        |  tai.phan@ed.gov                     |
|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|
|  Carolee Bush                        |                                      |
|  Council of Sections Rep, 2007-09    |                                      |
|  cbush2000@aol.com                   |                                      |
|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|



                         SOCIAL STATISTICS SECTION

The Social Statistics Section seeks to advance research in social
statistics, both in areas which involve the use of methods of statistical
inquiry, and in those which involve the use of statistical data and the
development of statistical measurement.  This section will also plan for
active participation in the affairs of the American Statistical Association
by those interested in these matters and for representation of activities
in this major field in the program of the ASA.


                           OFFICERS AND CONTACTS

|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|
|  Allen L. Schirm                     | Dawn Haines                          |
|  Chair, 2009                         | Secretary/Treasurer 2008-09          |
|  aschirm@mathematica-mpr.com         | dawn.e.haines@census.gov             |
|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|
|  Sharon M. Stern                     |  Daniel Weinberg                     |
|  Chair-Elect, 2009                   |  Council of Sections Rep, 2007-09    |
|  sharon.m.stern@census.gov           |  Daniel.H.Weinberg@census.gov        |
|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|
|  Linda Gage                          |  Carrie Dennis                       |
|  Past-Chair, 2009                    |  Publications Officer, 2007-08       |
|  Linda.Gage@dof.ca.gov               |  carrie.r.dennis@census.gov          |
|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|
|  Kathleen S. O'Connor                |  Monica D. Clark                     |
|  Program Chair, 2008                 |  Staff Liaison                       |
|  kdo7@cdc.gov                        |  monica@amstat.org                   |
|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|
|  Joseph Salvo                        |                                      |
|  Program Chair-Elect, 2008           |                                      |
|  jsalvo@planning.nyc.gov             |                                      |
|--------------------------------------+--------------------------------------|