NSF Statistics and Probability Program Directors
Keith Crank, Assistant Director of Research and Graduate Education
B
elow is a list of statistics and probability program directors at NSF. In 1974–1975,
Bruce Trumbo became the first statistician to serve as a program director. (That year,
he was actually an associate program director.) Until 1979, statistics was part of the
Applied Mathematics Program and probability was part of the Modern Analysis &
Probability Program. In 1979, the Statistics and Probability Program was formed.
In the list that follows, the program director’s home institution is listed in the year he
or she became a program director. In the last year he or she served as a program director, I
included moves from that home institution, if there were any.
Bruce Trumbo (repeated in 1978–1979 and
Nancy Flournoy (see 1986–1987) from NSF, went to
1974–1975 1985–1986) – California State University Hayward
American University (department chair 1993–1995),
(later renamed CSU East Bay)
then to University of Missouri (department chair)
1987–1988
Charles Bell – Tulane University; then to University
Yashaswini Mittal (see 1986–1987) from NSF, went
1975–1976
of Washington and San Diego State; now retired
to University of Arizona (statistics department chair,
then to department of mathematics)
Julius Blum – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee;
Mary Ellen Bock – Purdue (became department
from NSF, went to University of Arizona, then to UC
head in 1995)
1976–1977 Davis (department chair); only program director
1988–1989

no longer living (died 1982, obituary in Annals of
Peter Arzberger – University of Wisconsin-Madison
Statistics, 13:1–9
Mary Ellen Bock (see 1988–1989)
1977–1978 James Denton – Amherst College; now retired
1989–1990
Peter Arzberger (see 1988–1989)
1978–1979 Bruce Trumbo (see 1974–1975)
Nell Sedransk – University of Iowa

1979–1980 David Hanson – SUNY Binghamton; now retired
Peter Arzberger (see 1988–1989) from Division
of Mathematical Sciences at NSF, went to
1980–1981 David Moore – Purdue; now retired
Biology Directorate at NSF, then to San Diego
Farroll (Tim) Wright – University of Missouri
Supercomputer Center (executive director), then
1981–1982
1990–1991
(department chair 1995–2002)
National Biomedical Computational Resource
(director) and Pacific Rim Application and Grid
Prem Goel – Purdue; from NSF, went to Ohio State Middleware Assembly (chair)
1982–1983
(department chair 1988–1992)
Samprit Chatterjee – New York University, then to
Jerome Sacks – Northwestern; from NSF, went to Mount Sinai Medical School
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1983–1984
(department head), then to Duke and NISS
Nell Sedransk (see 1990–1991) from NSF, went to
(director); now retired
SUNY Albany, then to Case Western, then to NIST,
1991–1992 then to NISS (associate director)
Paul Shaman – University of Pennsylvania (depart-

ment chair 1990–2002)
1984–1985
Keith Crank – Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Peter Purdue – University of Kentucky
Alan Izenman – Temple University
Bruce Trumbo (see 1974–1975)
1992–1994
Keith Crank (see 1991–1992, 2003–2004)
1985–1986 Peter Purdue (see 1984–1985) from NSF, went to
Naval Postgraduate School (department chair,
associate provost, now dean)
Nancy Flournoy – Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Sallie Keller-McNulty – Kansas State University
Center (director of clinical statistics)
1994–1995
1986–1987
Stephen Samuels – Purdue University; now retired
Yashaswini Mittal – Virginia Tech
10 AMSTAT NEWS JUNE 2008
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