Physical and Engineering Sciences
Invited Sessions, Short Course Prepared

Randy Tobias, SPES JSM Program Chair, SAS Institute Inc., and
Tena Katsaounis, SPES Education Chair
T
he four invited sessions below for the SPES program at JSM
Memorial Session
2008 combine new methods with exciting applications.

SPES is cosponsoring a special memorial session in
theory and applications of Generalized Confidence Intervals,
honor of Randy Sitter, whose tragic loss last fall shocked
organized by Richard K. Burdick, Amgen Inc.
many for whom he was a good friend and a vital col-
These methods provide a straightforward and general approach
laborator. The talks in the session organized by Derek
for interval estimation and have been used to form limits on func- Bingham of Simon Fraser University would have been
tions of variance components, functions of means, and to provide interesting to Randy, himself. Jeff Wu will speak about
tolerance intervals. the side of Randy’s work most familiar to SPES folks: the
innovations in industrial statistics that were a hallmark
Warranty and Other Field Reliability data, organized by Luis
of Randy’s tenure as the editor of Technometrics. Randy
A. Escobar, Louisiana State University
also made important contributions in survey analysis,
Field data provide a vast, messy, and often underused resource
and, in this vein, J. N. K. Rao of Carleton University will
for reliability analysis. This session will explore important issues of
discuss Randy’s contributions to survey resampling
collecting and analyzing such data.
methods. Finally, Jiahua Chen of the University of British
design and analysis of Industrial Split-Plot experiments:
Columbia will present recent research concerning
Best Practices, organized by Bradley Jones, SAS Institute Inc.
weight adjustment in sample surveys to which Randy
Modern methods of design and analysis have vastly expanded
contributed.
the scope of split-plot experimentation. This session will explore
some of these new methods while seeking to clear up confusion
for statisticians and experimenters who need optimal designs as
about them.
one tool in their kit for handling nonstandard experimental situa-
tions. The emphasis throughout will be on the practical aspects of
Recent advances in Computer experiments: new Methods these methods, from using practical software tools to construct-
with diverse applications, organized by Zhiguang (Peter) Qian, ing optimal designs to understanding the practical ramifications of
University of Wisconsin-Madison their theoretical characteristics. Course material will be based on
Computer experiments are definitely a hot topic, with new the recent book Optimum Experimental Designs with SAS, by A. C.
applications and approaches springing up all the time. As exciting Atkinson, Donev, and Tobias.
as the new methodologies presented in this session is the diversity Donev is a senior lecturer in statistics in the School of
of problems to which they are applied. Mathematics at the University of Manchester. Prior to taking his
current job, he worked in academic departments throughout the
Short Course
United Kingdom and Bulgaria, as well as for AstraZeneca.
If you are going to the Joint Statistical Meetings this year, mark
Tobias is the manager for linear models research and develop-
your calendar for the one-day short course about optimal experi-
ment at SAS Institute Inc. and the developer of many SAS tools for
mental designs offered Saturday, August 2, from 8:30 a.m.–5:00
experimental design, including the OPTEX procedure.
p.m. The course, taught by Alex N. Donev of the University of
Check the JSM online program at for more information about
Manchester and Randy Tobias of SAS Institute Inc., is designed
times and locations. n
JSM08
DENVER, COLORADO
Join the largest gathering of statisticians in the world.
register online at www.amstat.org/meetings/jsm/2008/onlinereg.
sponsored by:
American Statistical Association • International Biometric Society (ENAR and WNAR)
Institute of Mathematical Statistics • Statistical Society of Canada
JUNE 2008 AMSTAT NEWS 45
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