PRESIDENT-ELECT 2010
Nancy L. Geller
I
am honored to be nominated as president-elect of the ASA. As sites on the membership application will allow those who are con-
the world’s largest statistical society and the second-oldest sidering joining a chapter or section to find out more about it.
ongoing professional society in the world, the ASA has a long
If elected, I will actively continue the tradition of chapter visits
and valued history of promoting the profession and improving the
and use these opportunities to seek membership input for sugges-
professional lives of the membership. It will be my goal as presi-
tions for future activities and general improvement of the ASA. I
dent to build on this history and experience to enhance the value
hope to be able to harness the many resources the ASA already has
of the ASA, both to its membership and to society. I will strive to
in place and many experienced colleagues (especially the officers
carry out the association’s strategic plan, particularly emphasizing
and past presidents) to help me when tough situations arise. I
the ASA’s educational outreach and encouraging the next genera-
trust my experience as the head of a major biostatistics group at
tion to enter our profession.
the NIH will enable me to handle these smoothly. I look forward
Geller
Upon hearing I was a statistician, a student at a party once said, to the challenge and privilege of serving as your president-elect,
“I know what you do. You add up those long columns of num- continuing to implement the strategic plan and serving you, the
bers!” This made me realize that outreach is extremely important members of the ASA.
to spread information about how exciting our work can be and
Present Position: Director, Office of Biostatistics Research,
publicize the need for our expertise, especially to motivate the next
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of
generation to join our profession. This is especially true now, as
Health, 1990–
the demand for statisticians is growing, and we should be active in
seeking to fill the gap. Former Positions: Assistant to Associate Member, Biostatistics,
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1979–1990, Acting
We must portray the excitement of our work by expanding our
Head, 1990; American Cancer Society Scholar, Royal Free Hospital
reach to K–12 and quantitatively oriented undergraduates. A
School of Medicine, 1984–1985; Associate Professor, Community/
recent letter in the Washington Post suggested that probability and
Preventive Medicine, Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1978–
statistics should be part of every high-school curriculum. This may
1979; Assistant Professor, Statistics, University of Pennsylvania,
be impractical in the short term, but more exposure to statisti-
1972–1978; Instructor/Assistant Professor, Statistics, University of
cal concepts and what statisticians do would enhance our image.
Rochester, 1970–1972
While we already participate in judging school science fairs and
should continue to do so, we also should be visiting classes and Degrees: PhD, Mathematics, Case Western Reserve University,
talking about our work. We should provide innovative summer 1972; MS, Mathematics, Case Institute of Technology, 1967; BS,
programs for undergraduates and more internship opportunities. Mathematics, The City College of New York, 1965;
I plan to initiate programs to reach the next generation.
Fields of Major Statistical Activity: Design of and methodol-
The advent of new models of information exchange—such as pod- ogy for clinical trials with primary applications in cardiovascular
casts, videoconferencing, and social networks—also provides an diseases and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; statistical
opportunity for the ASA to reach more broadly into the popula- genetics
tion by promoting statistical sciences. A special section of Science
Publications: “Use of Biological Assignment in Hematopoietic
(January 2, 2009) discusses the great promise of computer and
Stem Cell Transplantation Clinical Trials,” Clinical Trials, 2008
communication technologies for improving education, and it is
(with others); “When Should Data and Safety Monitoring
clear that the ASA should take more advantage of these. Podcasts,
Committees Share Interim Results in Cardiovascular Trials?”
LinkedIn, and Twitter feeds would enable the ASA to reach both
JAMA, 2008 (with others); “Testing Association for Markers on
the ASA membership and the public on issues of importance to
the X Chromosome,” Genetic Epidemiology, 2007 (with others);
our profession. The ASA web site can also be used to provide pod-
Editor, Advances in Clinical Trial Biostatistics, Marcel Dekker,
casts to make educational programs available on demand at all
2005; Approximately 150 statistical and medical publications
levels, from K–12 to post-graduate professional development. The
strategic plan discusses our image, and perhaps we can enhance it ASA Activities and Offices Held: Fellow, 1993; Elizabeth Scott
using these new media. Award Committee, 2000–2002, Chair, 2002; Spiegelman Award
Committee, 1997–1999; Committee on Women in Statistics,
Making the members feel part of an association of 18,000 mem-
1976–1981, Chair, 1979
bers is a challenge. We must encourage more of our members
to become involved in the association through participation on Related Professional Activities: President, International Society
committees, in local chapter activities, in section activities, in the for Clinical Biostatistics, 2001; Executive Committee, 1996–1998;
annual meeting, and in short courses. Here again, the implemen- Local Organizing Chair for joint meeting, 1997; President-elect,
tation of modern web-based tools, such as blogs and forums, by 1999–2000; Associate Editor, Biometrics, 1989–present; Editorial
the ASA will facilitate communication on issues of importance. Board, Clinical Trials, 2001–present; Editor, Caucus for Statistics
The new ASA web site is a vast improvement over the previous one Newsletter, 1972–1973; Representative-at-large, Caucus for
and very informative about the organization. Currently, there is a Women in Statistics Executive Committee, 1977–1978; Data and
one-paragraph description of each section on a single web page. Safety Monitoring Board for Frequent Hemodialysis Network,
The sections and chapters should be encouraged to have their own National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases,
web pages to present their recent activities and future plans. In 2000–present; Food and Drug Administration panel assessing
addition, they should have their own forum on the ASA web site the safety of Roziglitizone, 2007; Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory
so that members can exchange information. Publicizing these web Committee, Food and Drug Administration, 1999–2002
MARCH 2009 AMSTAT NEWS 11
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92