The November episode of Practical Significance features a fun twist as podcast producer Kim Gilliam takes her turn at the mic to interview her colleagues and Practical Significance co-hosts, Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein. Armed with insider knowledge and your burning questions about the ASA, Kim leads a lively conversation that’s equal parts informative and entertaining. Ron sets the stage by unpacking the ASA’s strategic vision built on three key themes: enhancing the diversity and...

The American Statistical Association’s Excellence in Statistical Reporting Award recognizes media professionals for their presentation of the science of statistics and its role in public life. During the 2024 Joint Statistical Meetings in Portland, Oregon, this summer, Harry Stevens of The Washington Post was honored with this award for his Climate Lab story series—which covers environmental change in a clear, personalized, transparent, and reproducible way. Joining Practical Significance...

Statistics in the Community, or STATCOM, is a student-run community outreach program launched at Purdue University in 2006. It offers students a unique opportunity to apply their statistical expertise by providing pro bono consulting services to community organizations.   This month, Annie Cohen and Hanna Venera join Practical Significance co-hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein to discuss their roles as co-presidents of STATCOM at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. They can’t contain...

The American Statistical Association recently joined forces with Instats, an organization dedicated to enhancing global research practices by offering expert-led training to researchers through its online platform. The ASA/Instats partnership will bring members a broad set of learning opportunities. Practical Significance co-hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein engage with Michael Zyphur, director of Instats, to explore this innovative learning experience—including the unique features that...

For the first time, the Joint Statistical Meetings—taking place August 3–8—will be held in Portland, Oregon. In anticipation, Practical Significance podcast hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein welcome two special guests: JSM Program Chair Debashis Ghosh and Oregon Chapter President Yuan Jiang, who offer tips for making JSM a professional and personal success. Ghosh, chair and professor at the Colorado School of Public Health Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, reflects on his...

In January 2024, ASA President Bonnie Ghosh-Dastidar announced strengthening and expanding mentoring in the ASA community as one of her initiatives and launched a working group with co-chairs Carolyn Rutter and Ruth Etzioni. This month, they join Practical Significance co-hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein to discuss this endeavor. Bonnie, Carolyn, and Ruth share their stories about the power of mentoring and their passion for bringing new mentoring program models to the ASA community....

The ASA has 70+ regional chapters that organize networking events, provide continuing education, conduct outreach efforts, and promote statistics as a career. They bring local flair to the ASA. By providing support in countless ways, the Council of Chapters Governing Board (COCGB) is the glue that connects chapters with each other and the broader ASA community. This month, Practical Significance co-hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein bring listeners an audio version of Chapter Chatter,...

The title for this episode is a question familiar to ChatGPT users and signals the growing impact of artificial intelligence on the world around us. Tian Zheng, Hongtu Zhu, and Mark Glickman join co-hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein to discuss the implications of AI for our profession. Building on a 2023 workshop on statistics and AI in health care, Tian, Hongtu, and colleagues recently hosted an ASA townhall during which they discussed the impact of AI on the statistical community....

March 14 is Pi Day and the International Day of Mathematics (and Statistics), which has the theme “Play with Math” this year. Practical Significance co-hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein knew there was no better way to play with math and statistics than to talk with members of the ASA Statistics in Sports Section—chair Guanyu Hu and communications officer Denise Bradford. Bradford, senior data scientist for the Detroit Pistons, and Hu, assistant professor at The University of Texas...

Fortunately, 2024 is a leap year and February has an extra day because David Matteson, professor and associate chair for the statistics and data science and social statistics department at Cornell University, has a full plate. He recently took on the role of director of the National Institute of Statistical Sciences and is leading the editorial team for Data Science in Science, the newest open-access addition to the ASA’s portfolio of publications. This month, he joins Practical Significance...

Practical Significance co-hosts Donna Lalonde and Ron Wasserstein kick off season four by welcoming the editor of Real World Data Science, Brian Tarran, to the show. A new initiative from the Royal Statistical Society in partnership with the ASA, Real World Data Science features content developed by data scientists. Tarran’s aim is for the site to be a trusted, go-to source for high-quality and engaging content that supports ethical and impactful practice. Because the target audience for...

As Practical Significance celebrates the end of its third year, we want to express how grateful we are for our devoted listeners. Thank you! We also mark a special podcast tradition this month by speaking with outgoing ASA board members. Co-hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein “go live” from the second floor of the ASA building during the 2023 fall board meeting, and retiring board members Catherine (Kate) Calder, Kathy Ensor, Alexandra (Alex) Hanlon, Ruixiao Lu, Matilde Kam, and *Bin Nan...

The ASA is stronger because of the perspectives and experiences international members bring to our community. This month, co-hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein talk with Ingrid Van Keilegom, international representative to the ASA Board, and Afia Owusu-Forfie, founder and executive director of Coders Who Travel, about initiatives and resources that support international members. Van Keilegom, a statistics professor at KU Leuven in Belgium, highlights the work of the Committee on...

Did you know the ASA has a section or special interest group for you? These are subject-area and/or industry-related groups that provide benefits specific to your interests. This month, Practical Significance co-hosts Donna and Ron chat with three section leaders: Wendy Martinez, chair of the newly formed Section on Text Analysis; Susan Paddock, chair of the Council of Sections Governing Board; and Sharina Person, chair of the Biometrics Section, which became the ASA’s first section in...

Derek Curtis II set his sights on accounting when he was in just the 8th grade. Unlike many of us, he went to college knowing exactly what he wanted to do and, today, he is the ASA’s new director of finance and administration. This month, he joins Practical Significance co-hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein to talk about his career path and give shout-outs to a few professional mentors. He also shares how he stays current in the world of finance and, with an eye toward the future,...

On April 21, 2021, the American Statistical Association became a full member of CSAB, joining the world’s two largest professional and technical societies for computing—the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the IEEE Computer Society (IEEE-CS). This month, Practical Significance co-hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein welcome to the show newly appointed CSAB Executive Director Andrew (Andy) Phillips to get an update on data science accreditation. In addition to data science...

The ASA recently formed the Caucus of Industry Representatives to promote statistics and data science in the private and public sectors and provide resources to successfully advocate for the discipline. Ginger Holt, who is leading the effort as chair of the executive committee, and committee member Amarjot Kaur talk shop with Practical Significance co-hosts Donna LaLonde and Ron Wasserstein, touching on everything from the most significant challenges facing industry statisticians and data...

Practical Significance co-hosts Donna and Ron welcome John Bailer and Rosemary Pennington, co-hosts of Stats+Stories, a podcast about “the statistics behind the stories and the stories behind the statistics.” Their show features an eclectic mix of topics, from economics to the environment to media, methods, sports, and more. John and Rosemary come from opposite backgrounds: John, who is a professor emeritus of statistics, is the “Stats” part of the equation. Rosemary, who is an associate...

Did you know the ASA publishes or co-publishes 16 journals focusing on statistics in business and economics, biopharmaceutical research, agriculture, biology, the environment, sports, surveys, and so much more? Eric Sampson oversees production (a Herculean effort) and has served as the ASA journals manager since 2008. Practical Significance co-hosts Donna and Ron talk with Eric in depth about his role and what changes he anticipates in the publishing world. Eric also gives advice for authors...

Shakespeare asks, “What’s in a name?” in the play Romeo and Juliet, the purpose of which is to focus our attention on what’s important. This month, Practical Significance explores what’s important for an ASA meeting or conference to be successful as co-hosts Donna and Ron welcome Julia Sharp, chair of the ASA Meetings Task Force, to the show. The ASA Board charged the task force with developing recommendations for ensuring those attending the ASA’s smaller meetings such as the Conference on...

The Coit Tower offers a 360-degree view of San Francisco and, this month, Practical Significance offers a 360 of the 2023 Conference on Statistical Practice, recently held in the beautiful “City by the Bay.” Co-hosts Donna and Ron took the show on the road and recorded this episode live at the conference, which brought together nearly 400 statisticians and data scientists who shared insights on and solutions to real-world problems. On the conference’s final day, a gathering of brave souls...

With a nod to Valentine’s Day, the February edition of Practical Significance embraces the theme, “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” and features three couples who truly appreciate the perks of having a statistician as a partner. Co-hosts Donna and Ron welcome Emily and Eric Griffith, Jeri and Ed Mulrow, and Jack Miller and Melinda Baham to the show. The three couples share a bit about their day jobs and how they met and offer strategies for maintaining that elusive goal of work-life balance....

Practical Significance kicks off the new year with its January tradition of featuring the new ASA president. Co-hosts Donna and Ron welcome to the show Dionne Price, the 118th president of the American Statistical Association. Dionne—who is the deputy director of the Office of Biostatistics, Office of Translational Sciences, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration—shares aspects of her “day” job and her goals for the year ahead. Listen to how an internship...

Practical Significance is celebrating its second year, and we are grateful to our devoted listeners—thank you! Over the last 24 months, we’ve developed a few traditions, including honoring our outgoing ASA board members. For the final episode of 2022, co-hosts Donna and Ron welcome to the show Scarlett Bellamy, Rebecca Hubbard, Ji-Hyun Lee, and Alexandra Schmidt, who will each end their tenure this month. They share what they’ve learned from serving and how it’s influenced their view of the...