Simone Gray (PhD 2010) was elected president of the Eastern North American Region of the International Biometric Society also known as ENAR. The International Biometric Society is an international society for the advancement of biological science through the development of quantitative theories and the application, development and dissemination of effective mathematical and statistical techniques. A link to the announcement is here. read more about Ph.D. alumnus Simone Gray elected ENAR president »
Lorin Crawford (PhD 20 ) has been awarded a Packard Fellowship, a highly prestigious award given to innovative early-career scientists. From the award summary, "As sequencing and imaging technologies continue to improve, there is a growing need for novel statistical tools to better analyze the biological data that they produce. The Crawford group develops scalable machine learning algorithms that uncover how genomic features affect the architecture of complex traits and contribute to disease etiology." Lorin is an… read more about PhD Alum Lorin Crawford awarded Packard Fellowship »
We would like to congratulate three of our outstanding MSS students for winning the Dean’s Research Award. The Dean’s Research Award provides funding for the purchase of materials and supplies to support research relevant to a Master’s student’s degree completion. Congratulations Yizi, Daniel, and Christine! Below is a brief summary of each of their research projects.
Daniel Deng
Daniel’s research focuses on Bayesian dynamic modeling and decision analysis, advised by Dr. Mike West.
Christine Shen
Christine’s research… read more about Three MSS Students Win Dean's Research Award »
The Department of Statistical Science is excited that Dr. Funda Gunes has joined the department as the new Master's Program Director. Previously, she worked at SAS Research and Development as a Principal Machine Learning Developer. At SAS, she built end-to-end predictive modeling pipelines for SAS Visual Data Mining and Machine Learning Software by researching and implementing new machine learning techniques and data science best practices. In addition, Funda was involved in many exciting projects with computer scientists… read more about Statistical Science Welcomes New Master's Program Director, Funda Gunes »
DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke students will soon emerge more prepared to use data to create new knowledge in a host of disciplines thanks to the newly launched Center for Computational Thinking (CCT). The new center is a response to the growing demands for more computational skills among new college graduates. It will infuse data literacy across the academic experience while simultaneously preparing students to consider the ethical, legal, and social impacts of technology.
“The CCT will provide training in a co-curricular seminar-… read more about Duke Launches Center to Bring Computational Thinking to All Students »
The annual American Statistical Association DataFest held at Duke each spring gives hundreds of students a glimpse of statistics and data science in practice, bringing real challenges to life in a collegial, competitive setting.
Due to COVID, this year’s virtual version took place over several… read more about COVID-Inspired Statistics Projects Earn Accolades in Global Competition »
If hanging upside down from a crane while escaping a straitjacket seems like suitable training for today’s topsy-turvy campus environment, then statistician Eric Laber is primed for success.
That daring escape is just one of many tricks Laber performed during a 12-year-career as a professional magician. But now he’s distinguished professor at NC State who will be joining the Duke faculty in the departments of statistical sciences and biostatistics and bioinformatics in January.
Laber likes using data to solve real-world… read more about Eric Laber: From Awe-Inspiring Magic to Problem-Solving Statistics »
The National Science Foundation has awarded Duke University a $3 million, five-year Research Traineeship grant to develop a program for graduate students to develop expertise in using artificial intelligence (AI) for materials science research. The aiM (AI…read more about Filling an AI and Materials Science Training Gap »
Eric Laber
Broadly, my research focuses on the development of rigorous statistical methods to inform data-driven decision making in complex environments. During the past few years, I have become particularly interested in driving the adoption of reinforcement learning methods as a means of decision support in high-risk settings including precision medicine, public health, defense, and business. From a methodological perspective, my work involves machine learning, causal inference, optimization, and… read more about New Faculty Arriving in January 2021 »
Professor Mine Cetinkaya-Rundel was named a Fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA). As noted on the ASA Fellows website, "The designation of ASA Fellow has been a significant honor for nearly 100 years. Under ASA bylaws, the Committee on Fellows can elect up to one-third of one percent of the total association membership as fellows each year." read more about Professor Mine Cetinkaya-Rundel Named ASA Fellow »
What do toxicology, a Tanzanian imam, women’s tennis, virgin births and your cat have in common? Admittedly, not much, except that biostatistician Amy Herring has worked on projects involving all of them.
Herring, the Sara and Charles Ayres Professor of Statistical Science & Global Health, has… read more about Amy Herring Wants to See Your Data »
A panel of three Duke alumni recently joined the 2020 Data+ cohort to discuss their experiences in the program, the role of data science in their jobs today and the importance of building lasting professional relationships.
Data+ is a 10-week summer program that provides research experiences allowing Duke undergraduates to explore data-driven approaches to interdisciplinary challenges. “We’ve had quite a few students move all the way through Duke and on to some very interesting careers,” said Paul Bendich, who helped… read more about Stats Alum Anne Driscoll Talks Career Paths and Mentoring with Duke Students »
Congratulations to our PhD alumna Raquel Prado on her selection as Fellow of the International Society for Bayesian Analysis (ISBA). Raquel is recognized "For outstanding contributions to research in Bayesian methodology, especially in time series analysis and its applications in neuroscience and other fields; her impact in university teaching and programmatic leadership; and her significant and dedicated service to ISBA."
You can read about the Fellows in the latest ISBA Bulletin. read more about Alumna Raquel Prado is elected ISBA Fellow »
Alumna Dr. Ana Rappold from EPA’s Office of Research and Development was awarded one of 13 prestigious Arthur S. Flemming Awards for her exceptional contributions to Social Science, Clinical Studies, and Translational Research. The Flemming Award recognizes outstanding and meritorious achievement, and encourages the highest standards of performance in federal service read more about Alumna Ana Rappold awarded Arthur S. Flemming Award »
Fifteen Duke Ph.D. students have received prestigious awards from the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) for 2020.
Launched in 1952, the GRFP is the oldest graduate fellowship of its kind. It supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing Ph.D. or research-based master’s degrees. Fellows receive a three-year stipend, coverage of tuition and fees, and opportunities for international research… read more about Stats PhD Student Becky Tang Receives Prestigious NSF Fellowship »
2020 BEST Award Winners:
Undergraduate Award
Winner: Chiwan Kim (pictured below) for his research on Black-Scholes Integrated Gaussian Process Model for American Option Pricing
Master's Award
Winner: Haohan Chen (pictured below)for his research on Bayesian Dynamic Network Modeling for Social Media Political Talk
Honorable Mention: Evan Poworoznek for his research on Easy and Efficient Bayesian Factor Analysis
Ph.D. Award
Winner: Xu Chen …read more about Congratulations to the 2020 BEST Award Winners »
Fifteen Duke Ph.D. students have received prestigious awards from the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) for 2020.
Launched in 1952, the GRFP is the oldest graduate fellowship of its kind. It supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science… read more about 15 Ph.D. Students Receive Prestigious NSF Fellowships »
Professor Fan Li and colleagues Laine Thomas and Michael Pencina (Duke Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics) published an article in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) on overlap weighting, a causal inference method for comparative effectiveness research that Li and co-authors have developed in recent years, and is used in a COVID-19 study featured in the newest edition of JAMA Cardiology. Read the full article in JAMA here.
read more about Fan Li publishes article in JAMA on overlap weighting »
Congratulations to the following student award winners from Duke University units in 2020.
African & African American Studies
John Hope Franklin Award for Academic Excellence: Elizabeth DuBard Grantland
Karla FC Holloway Award for University Service: Beza Gebremariam
Mary McLeod Bethune Writing Award: Jenna Clayborn
Walter C. Burford Award for Community Service: Kayla Lynn Corredera-Wells
Art, Art History & Visual Studies
Mary Duke… read more about Student Honors and Laurels for 2020 »
The Department of Statistical Science has planned a nice slate of courses in Summer 2020 in order to provide a few more options in these uncertain times. All have great instructors, and we have offerings at every level, with an eye on giving you useful skills to get attractive internship and job offers in the future. Course descriptions for extant courses are in our site's Courses section, and I’ve described the new ones in the Video below. We’re also offering summer versions of two courses that are full for fall: STA 199 (… read more about DUS Message: Summer Courses Bring More Options for Students »
Making Statistics Available from a Distance
When the semester started, no one expected to move all of Duke’s classes to remote delivery with only a week’s notice. But once the university announced its plans to do just that in response to COVID-19, the Department of Statistical Science had someone to turn to in order to ensure a smooth transition: Joan Combs Durso.
“She has been incredible,” Department Chair Jerome Reiter said. “She is working with faculty one-on-one to train them in remote learning, setting up their Sakai… read more about Making Statistics Available from a Distance »
Req ID: 28821
Date: Feb 27, 2020
Location: Durham, NC, US, 27710
Personnel Area: UNIVERSITY
Duke University:
Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct… read more about Open Science Communications Specialist, A&S Communications »
Statistical Science
