Building a Statistical Pipeline
Promoting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Promoting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
I am an ardent supporter of the sustainability of the statistics profession. But sustainability cannot be achieved without specific initiatives to promote the statistical profession in our society, especially among students who, after all, represent our future. To this end, I am interested in building a pipeline from elementary school through the university and into the statistics industry. I think it is important to adopt a systemic approach that exploits multi-disciplinary and multi-association involvement. My premise is that it is a good thing if we simply engage a student’s interest in statistical applications regardless of their specific career preferences. If nothing else, garnering their interest enhances the status and importance of statisticians! A second premise is that we can more easily engage student attention through a coalition of professional associations that reflect a broad use of statistical practice, such as public policy, health, pharmacy, computing, economics, demography, and so on. Essentially it involves coalition-building and results in a shared effort that would allow ASA (as well as other coalition members) to engage more students for a modest resource commitment. That is, we could “do more with less.” Another important aspect of this effort would be the creation of ‘student ambassadors.’ Student ambassadors could be provided resources (e.g., JSM conference registration for a graduate student ambassador) in return for participating in outreach efforts to other students (e.g., undergraduate students or high school students). Embedding a ‘pay it forward’ component multiplies our outreach capacity. It could also help address perhaps the biggest barrier to pipeline efforts of any discipline: the substantial portion of the student population (in the U.S.) who do not graduate from high school.
Promoting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Promoting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Promoting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
EQUITY -- My experience on the Sexual Harassment and Assault Task Force has been profound. Equity cannot be taken for granted. Our members deserve a safe and nurturing place to learn and grow, both at ASA events and at work. I will further develop policies so that our members are empowered, always feel safe, and benefit from ASA activities regardless of sex, gender, race/ethnicity, age, religion, national origin, or disability status.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION -- Over the course of my career I have found great value from the perspectives team members with diverse backgrounds, be it personal diversity (e.g., age, race/ethnicity, national origin, gender, sex), substantive diversity (e.g., computer science, economics, psychology, sociology, public health, statistics, etc.), or diversity of sectors (e.g., commercial, government, nonprofit, local community). Yes, logic and mathematical theory is universal, but there are distinct learning opportunities from obtaining diverse perspectives in the framing of problems, designing and implementing solutions and interpreting results and implications. That is why I am a fervent believer in community engagement for policy research. But equally importantly, I believe that ASA would greatly benefit from initiatives and even infrastructure to increase the diversity of its membership, especially in race/ethnicity, national origin and gender. I also would advocate for some form of student representation on the ASA Board of Directors. We need to do all we can to hear from our future leaders and our future core membership. Their sustained participation in ASA is the key to our ultimate success as an assocaition.
Family first
You gotta have fun
You gotta have fun
My career and devotion to the statistic community is one thing. But all that pales when it comes to family. We lead better lives when putting family before work.
You gotta have fun
You gotta have fun
You gotta have fun
A busy career is no excuse to avoid time for some fun. I have fun being a photographer for SXSW Music/Film/Interactive/EDU festivals each year in March.
About me
Biography & Media
Nominated by the Biden Administration to be US Census Bureau Director (pending senate confirmation): here
Urban Institute biography: Find it here
2021 recipient of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Award for Exceptionally Distinguished Achievement: here
Rob's Resume: here
This is Statistics! ASA promotional video advocating for a career in Survey Research, includes me: here
2016 LA Times Op Ed: "Why the polls get it wrong" -- Read it here
2018 LA Times Op Ed: "Should you trust the polls? Can they account for external meddling?" -- Read it here
