Category: Profile
Dr. Tim Hesterberg of Google: The Importance of Statistics at Google
February 28, 2019
Google plays a role in our daily lives from our web searches to directions. But how is Google using data to innovate and what role do its statisticians play? This is Statistics had the opportunity to speak with Google Senior Statistician Dr. Tim Hesterberg about how he uses his statistical expertise to measure the effectiveness of Google’s display ads. Read more...
Leslie McClure: Careers in Biostatistics Research
July 26, 2018
Prof. Leslie McClure, Ph.D., M.S., uses her expertise in biostatistics to pursue diverse interests ranging from statistical methodology to environmental epidemiology. In addition, Leslie researches racial and geographic disparities in diseases and the role that the environment plays in those disparities, and has worked with NASA, directed the Statistical Center for the Secondary Prevention of...
A Passion for Statistics: An Interview with Madhumita Roy
May 31, 2018
Madhumita found her passion for statistics, the science of learning from data, as an undergraduate economics student in India. She learned that among her other courses, statistics was the most useful and relevant subject that can be applied to any field of study. She then received her master’s in statistics from the Institute of Science...
Effecting Change with Statistics and Data: An Interview with Statistician Talithia Williams
April 19, 2018
Dr. Talithia Williams knows what it takes to effect change through statistics. An associate dean for research and experiential learning and an associate professor at Harvey Mudd College, Talithia’s work doesn’t stop at engaging students with statistics. She is the co-host of the new PBS series NOVA Wonders, where researchers tackle questions about life and the cosmos...
From Spreadsheets to Headlines: A Day in the Life of Data Journalist Ryan Struyk
January 12, 2018
What is a data journalist? If you ask Ryan Struyk, data reporter and mobile producer at CNN Politics, it’s someone who can turn a data set into breaking news. Data reporters explain important issues, but instead of using human sources to break the news, they work with data sets. This is Statistics had the opportunity...
Creating a Solution with Statistics, One E.Coli Colony at a Time
December 14, 2017
Ana Humphrey, a junior at T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA, is not your average student. As a national science fair winner, founder of two organizations, and creator of an innovative, low-cost approach to water testing, Ana is a girl on a mission. Along the way, her accomplishments have been powered by statistical...
Visualize This: Statistician Nathan Yau Helps Non-Experts Understand Data
August 21, 2017
Nathan Yau is a statistician best known for being the author of the highly successful FlowingData.com, a blog on visualization, statistics, and information design. Nathan graduated from University of California, Los Angeles, with a doctorate in statistics and created FlowingData.com to catalog his work. His focus is on data visualization and he has turned the blog...
Stats in Action: How One Data Journalist Writes an Article
August 16, 2017
Nick Thieme is an AAAS Mass Media Fellow with the sponsorship of the American Statistical Association, working at Slate Magazine over the summer months. Through this series, he gives us a glimpse behind the scenes of his journey as a statistician and data journalist. Over the last 10 weeks, I’ve written about robot soccer tournaments, fidget spinners, and whether AI is...
Swimming Against the Tide with Statistics
January 05, 2017
Jenny Chen needed to solve a problem in the pool. A competitive swimmer since age five, Jenny found that now at age 13, she was struggling to improve and surpass her teammates. “The plateau hit me like a freight train and caused doubt to obscure the path to my goals. I began to fear diving...
Up at Bat: Tom Tippett, Senior Analyst for the Boston Red Sox
September 08, 2016
Careers in sports analytics are evolving faster than athletes can run bases or make tackles. We recently sat down with Tom Tippett, senior analyst for the Boston Red Sox, and he shared how he helps the team make crucial decisions about players and games. For Tom, baseball analytics was always the dream job. Baseball is complex,...