Happy Holidays (Thanksgiving and in December).

 

See the WSS annual dinner info in the newsletter (below and attached)

 

Best,

 

Vince

 

 

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          WWW          WWW   SSSSSSSSSS   SSSSSSSSSS

           WWW   WW   WWW    SSSS         SSSS

            WWW WWWW WWW     SSSSSSSSSS   SSSSSSSSSS

             WWWWWWWWWW            SSSS         SSSS

              WWW  WWW       SSSSSSSSSS   SSSSSSSSSS

 

 

           NN     NN  EEEEEEE   WWW          WWW SSSSSSSSSS

           NNN    NN  EE         WWW   WW   WWW  SSSS

           NN NN  NN  EEEEEEE     WWW  WWW WWW   SSSSSSSSSS

           NN  NN NN  EE           WWWWWWWWWW          SSSS

           NN   NNNN  EEEEEEE       WWW WWW      SSSSSSSSSS

 

 

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WSS NEWS--News about activities of the Washington Statistical

Society - a Chapter of the American Statistical Association

 

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----------------------- December 2009 -----------------------

*************************************************************

*************************************************************

 

*************************************************************

Also available on the World Wide Wed at the following URL:

http://www.cos.gmu.edu/~wss//index.html 

*************************************************************

              

*************************************************************

                    Annual Holiday Dinner!!!

*************************************************************

 

                   Thursday December 17, 2009

                            6:00 pm

                   Finger Foods and Cash Bar

 

Please come join your friends and colleagues for a celebration of

the holiday season.

 

The 2009 WSS Holiday Dinner will be held Thursday, December 17,

at the Brickskeller  starting at 6:00 to 9:00 pm.   The menu

includes mussels, cheese platter, chicken wings, spinach and

artichoke dip, potatoes skin, and various sandwiches.  The

Brickskeller is located at 1523 22nd St NW, Washington, DC.  For

more information about the Brickskeller go to

http://www.lovethebeer.com/brickskeller.html.

 

The price is $30 per person or $15 if you are a student.

 

Please send a check payable to WSS to: Chris Cummiskey, 701 13th

Street, NW Suite 750, Washington, DC 20005.  Checks and cash will

be accepted at the party.

 

If you have questions, please contact Chris Cummiskey at

ccummiskey@... or (202) 728-2064.

 

Hope to see you there!

 

*************************************************************

     JEANNE E. GRIFFITH MENTORING AWARD NOMINATIONS SOUGHT

*************************************************************

 

Beth Kilss, 2010 Chair, Griffith  Award Selection Committee

 

It's time to start thinking about nominating an outstanding

supervisor, technical director, team coordinator, or other member

of a governmental statistical staff who encourages mentoring of

junior staff in the Federal, State, or Local statistical system

for the 2010 Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award.  Nominations

must be submitted no later than March 26, 2010.

 

This year marked the first time in the award's 7-year history

that two winners were chosen, as well as the first time the ASA's

Government Statistics Section oversaw the award selection

process.  Kevin Cecco, Chief of the Corporation Statistics

Branch, Statistics of Income Division, IRS, and Lillian Lin,

Mathematical Statistician, Division of HIV and AIDS Prevention at

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received their

awards at a ceremony held on June 17, 2009, in Washington, D.C.

 

If you're not familiar with the award or would like more

information about the current winners and the history of the

award, see the excellent article (including a number of pictures

from the ceremony) in the August 2009 issue of Amstat News, pp.

51-54, or go to

http://www.amstat.org/publications/amsn/2009/august.cfm.

 

The Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award was established to honor

Dr. Griffith who died in August 2001 after working for more than

25 years in the Federal statistical system. Throughout her

career, and especially in her latter senior management positions

at the National Center for Education Statistics and the National

Science Foundation, one of Jeanne's highest priorities was to

mentor and encourage younger staff at all levels to learn, to

grow, and to recognize and seize career opportunities as they

came along.

 

Nominations for 2010 will be accepted beginning in January 2010.

The last date for submission of nominations is March 26, 2010,

and the Award Committee will make its determination of the award

winner by May 7, 2010. The award will consist of a $1,000

honorarium (to be split if there is more than one awardee), a

citation, and a plaque, which will be presented at a ceremony

arranged by the co-sponsors in June 2010.

 

The nomination packages are reviewed by a committee comprising

six members who each serve a six-year term:

 

     Emerson Elliott, National Center for Education Statistics   

  (Retired)

     Carol House, National Agricultural Statistics Service

     Dan Kasprzyk, Mathematica Policy Research

     Beth Kilss, 2010 Chair, Internal Revenue Service (Retired)

     Stephanie Shipp, 2009 Chair, Science & Technology Policy    

 Institute

     Clyde Tucker, Bureau of Labor Statistics

 

Andy Orlin, Jeanne Griffith's husband, serves as emeritus member,

thus providing continuity and historical perspective.     

 

The recipients of the Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award previous

to this year's two winners are Rich Allen (National Agriculture

Statistical Service), 2003; Beth Kilss (Internal Revenue

Service), 2004; Renee Miller (Energy Information Administration),

2005; Martin O'Connell (U.S. Census Bureau), 2006; Stephanie

Shipp (National Institute of Standards and Technology   at the

time of the award), 2007; and Rosemary D. Marcuss (Bureau of

Economic Analysis), 2008.

 

The winning mentor(s) will be selected for his or her efforts in

supporting the work and developing the careers of junior staff.

Examples of typical mentoring activities include:

 

     -    Advising junior staff to help them create career

opportunities, networking skills, and contacts for growth and

development;

     -   Counseling junior staff and providing resources to help

develop their technical writing, analysis, presentation and

organizational skills and knowledge;

     -    Encouraging junior staff growth and career development

through attendance and oral presentations at meetings with higher

level officials, staffs of other agencies, professional

associations, training courses, and conferences;

     -    Motivating junior staff and building self confidence

through feedback on their efforts, being a listener when that is

needed, and creating a caring and supportive environment;

     -    Serving as a role model for junior staff through

professional expertise, information and insights, balancing

collegial and personal roles, and including everyone across rank,

race,  ethnicity, and seniority.

 

Nominations should be prepared in the form of a letter or

memorandum for the Award Selection Committee:

 

     -    The letter or memorandum should summarize the nominee's

actions that support and encourage junior staff in the Federal,

State, or Local statistical community in developing their

careers.

     -    Nominations may be accompanied by up to six supporting

letters. These should be attached to, and submitted with, the

nomination.

     -    The Award Selection Committee finds that descriptions

of what nominees actually do are the strongest demonstration of

candidate mentoring. Here are some examples: the mentor is a

source of advice counsels with long-term goals in mind thought I

was well qualified even though I had some doubts encourages staff

to seek out positions that will increase  their visibility and

stretch their professional capabilities. These are more explicit

and unique to the mentor than generic statements such as: the

mentor is a coach a teacher.

 

Photo copies and email copies of support letters are acceptable.

 

For more information about the nominating process for the 2010

award, please go to:

http://www.amstat.org/sections/sgovt/JEGform10.doc or

http://www.amstat.org/sections/sgovt/JEGform10.pdf.

 

If you have questions about the award, please contact Monica

Clark at monica@..., (703) 302-1860, and  Beth Kilss at

bakilss@..., (703) 451-7240.

 

The nomination package may be mailed or emailed no later than

March 26, 2010, to:

 

The Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award Committee

c/o The American Statistical Association

732 N. Washington Street

Alexandria, VA  22314-1943   

monica@... 

 

Sponsors of the Award:  The Government Statistics Section (GSS)

of the American Statistical

Association manages the award. GSS would like to thank our

original co-sponsors:

    -  Washington Statistical Society,

    -  Social Statistics Section of the American Statistical

Association,

    -  Interagency Council on Statistical Policy (ICSP),

    -  Council of Professional Associations on Federal

Statistics,

and our two new co-sponsors:

    -  American Educational Research Association (AERA), and

    -  National Opinion Research Corporation (NORC).

Please contact Stephanie Shipp (sshipp919@...), if you

would like to contribute to the award.

 

*************************************************************

         Nominations Sought for the 2011 Waksberg Award

*************************************************************

 

The journal Survey Methodology has established an annual invited

paper series in honor of Joe Waksberg to recognize his

contributions to survey methodology. Each year a prominent survey

statistician is chosen to write a paper that reviews the

development and current state of an important topic in the field

of survey methodology. The paper reflects the mixture of theory

and practice that characterized Joe Waksberg's work.

    

The recipient of the Waksberg Award will receive an honorarium

and give the 2011 Waksberg Invited Address at the Statistics

Canada Symposium to be held in the autumn of 2011. The paper will

be published in a future issue of Survey Methodology.

    

The author of the 2011 Waksberg paper will be selected by a

four-person committee appointed by Survey Methodology and the

American Statistical Association. Nomination of individuals to be

considered as authors or suggestions for topics should be sent

before February 28, 2010 to the chair of the committee, Dan

Kasprzyk (Dkasprzyk@...).

 

Previous Waksberg Award honorees and their invited  papers are:

 

     2001 Gad Nathan, "Telesurvey Methodologies for Household

Surveys-A Review and Some Thoughts for the Future." Survey

Methodology, vol. 27, no. 1, pp.7-31.

 

     2002  Wayne Fuller, "Regression Estimation for Survey

Samples." Survey Methodology, vol.28, no. 1, pp. 5-23.

 

     2003  David Holt, "Methodological Issues in the Development

and Use of Statistical Indicators for International Comparisons."

Survey Methodology, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 5-17.

 

     2004  Norman Bradburn, "Understanding the Question-Answer

Process." SurveyMethodology, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 5-15.

 

     2005  J.N.K Rao, "Interplay Between Sample Survey Theory and

Practice: An Appraisal." Survey Methodology, vol. 31, no. 2, pp.

117-138.

 

     2006  Alastair Scott, "Population-Based Case Control

Studies." Survey Methodology, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 123-132.

 

     2007 Carl-Erik S rndal, "The Calibration Approach in Survey

Theory and Practice." Survey Methodology, vol. 33, no. 2, pp.

99-119.

 

     2008  Mary Thompson, "International surveys: Motives and

Methodologies." Survey Methodology, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 131-141.

 

     2009 Graham Kalton, "Methods for Oversampling Rare

Subpopulations in Social Surveys." Survey Methodology  

(forthcoming)

 

 

*************************************************************

                     WSS and Other Seminars

        (All events are open to any interested persons)

*************************************************************    

 

December

   2  Wed.  Data, Information and Interpretation in Assessing the

Sustainability of the Nation's Forests

                                

  16  Wed.  Geographic Information (GIS) Data Collection and

Storage

                                  

  17  Thurs.  Comparing the Census Bureau's Master Address File

(MAF) with both Fresh Area Listing and Commercial Address Lists

                               

January

  21  Thurs.  Developing a Data Analysis System for Categorical

Survey Data

                               

*************************************************************

 

*************************************************************

                 Note from the WSS NEWS Editor

*************************************************************

Items for publication in the January  issue of the WSS NEWS will

be accepted until December 17, 2009.   E-mail items to Michael

Feil at michael.feil@....

*************************************************************

 

*************************************************************    

                                Announcement

*************************************************************

                              

            SIGSTAT Topics for Fall/Winter 2009-2010

 

December 16, 2009: SAS for Forecasting Time Series: Part 2

(http://support.sas.com/publishing/bbu/companion_site/57275.html)

 

 This month continues a series of meetings on the topic using SAS

to forecast time series. We follow the book titled "SAS for

Forecasting Time Series 2nd Edition" by Brocklebank and Dickey.

 Part 2: This month begins Chapter 3: The General ARIMA Model.

Topics include prediction and model identification.

 

January 20, 2010: SAS for Forecasting Time Series: Part 3

(http://support.sas.com/publishing/bbu/companion_site/57275.html)

 

This month continues a series of meetings on the topic using SAS

to forecast time series. We follow the book titled "SAS for

Forecasting Time Series 2nd Edition" by Brocklebank and Dickey.

Part 3: This month continues Chapter 3: The General ARIMA Model.

Topics include using the IDENTIFY and ESTIMATE statements with a

number of examples.

 

February 24, 2010: SAS for Forecasting Time Series: Part 4

(http://support.sas.com/publishing/bbu/companion_site/57275.html)

 

This month continues a series of meetings on the topic using SAS

to forecast time series. We follow the book titled "SAS for

Forecasting Time Series 2nd Edition" by Brocklebank and Dickey.

Part 4: This month continues Chapter 3: The General ARIMA Model.

Topics include models for nonstationary data and differencing to

remove a linear trend.

 

March 17, 2010: SAS for Forecasting Time Series: Part 5

(http://support.sas.com/publishing/bbu/companion_site/57275.html)

 

This month continues a series of meetings on the topic using SAS

to forecast time series. We follow the book titled "SAS for

Forecasting Time Series 2nd Edition" by Brocklebank and Dickey.

Part 5: This month begins Chapter 4: The ARIMA Model:

Introductory Applications. Topics include an introduction to

seasonal modeling and model identification.

_________________________________________________________________

SIGSTAT is the Special Interest Group in Statistics for the

CPCUG, the Capital PC User Group, and WINFORMS, the Washington

Institute for Operations Research Service and Management

Science.

 

All meetings are in Room S3031, 1800 M St, NW from 12:00 to 1:00.

Enter the South Tower & take the elevator to the 3rd floor to

check in at the guard's desk.

 

First-time attendees should contact Charlie Hallahan,

202-694-5051, hallahan@..., and

leave their name. Directions to the building & many links of

statistical interest can be found at the SIGSTAT website,

http://www.cpcug.org/user/sigstat/.

 

 

*************************************************************    

                      Announcement

*************************************************************

              ASA Survey Research Methods Section

 

Our second webinar is going to be February 9, 2010.   Details are

on the website:

http://www.amstat.org/sections/srms/webinar.cfm

 

Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 1 to 3pm EST

 

The Psychology of Survey Response

 

Instructor:  Roger Tourangeau

 

Abstract

 

This two-hour course examines survey questions from a

psychological perspective.  It covers the basics on how

respondents answer survey questions and how problems in this

response process can produce reporting errors.  The class will

focus on behavioral questions. The course is intended as on

introduction for researchers who develop survey questionnaires or

who use the data from surveys and want to understand some of the

potential problems with survey data.  It describes the major

psychological components of the response process, including

comprehension of the questions, retrieval of information from

memory, combining and supplementing information from memory

through judgment and inference, and the reporting of an answer. 

The course has no specific perquisites, though familiarity with

survey methodology or questionnaire design would be helpful.

 

Bio sketch

 

Roger Tourangeau is a Research Professor at the University of

Michigan's Survey Research Center and the Director of the Joint

Program in Survey Methodology (JSPM) at the University of

Maryland.   He has been a survey methodologist for nearly 30

years, with extensive experience in a wide range of surveys.

Tourangeau is well-known for his methodological research on the

impact of different modes of data collection and on the cognitive

processes underlying survey responses.  He is the lead author of

a book on this last topic (The Psychology of Survey Response,

co-authored with Lance Rips and Kenneth Rasinski and published by

Cambridge University Press in 2000); this book received the 2006

Book Award from the American Association for Public Opinion

Research (AAPOR).  He is also one of the co-editors of a

collection of papers (Cognition and Survey Research, published by

Wiley in 1999) from a conference on cognitive aspects of survey

response.  In addition, he has published a number of papers on

mode effects (including a very widely cited paper on audio-CASI

with Tom Smith) and on forgetting and telescoping in surveys.

   

In 2002, Tourangeau received the Helen Dinerman Award for his

work on the cognitive aspects of survey methodology. This is the

highest honor given by the World Association for Public Opinion

Research.  In 2005, he received the 2005 AAPOR Innovators Award

(along with Tom Jabine, Miron Straf, and Judy Tanur).  He was

elected a Fellow of the American Statistical Association in 1999

for his work on survey measurement error and his contributions to

federal surveys as a sampling statistician.  In 2006, he served

as the chair of the Survey Research Methods Section of the

American Statistical Association.  He has a Ph.D. in Psychology

from Yale University.

 

*************************************************************

                      Program Announcement

*************************************************************    

                         

                               

                                

Title:  Data, Information and Interpretation in Assessing the

Sustainability of the Nation's Forests

                               

Speaker:  Guy Robertson, Ph.D.

          Sustainability Program Lead

          U.S. Forest Service

                               

Chair:  Mike Fleming

                               

Date/time:   Wednesday, December 2, 2009 / 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

                               

Location:  Bureau of Labor Statistics Conference Center.  To be

placed on the seminar list attendance list at the Bureau of Labor

Statistics you need to e-mail your name, affiliation, and seminar

name to wss_seminar@... (underscore after 'wss') by noon at

least 2 days in advance of the seminar or call 202-691-7524 and

leave a message.  Bring a photo ID to the seminar.  BLS is

located at 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE.  Use the Red Line to Union

Station.

                               

Sponsor:  WSS Agriculture and Natural Resources Section

                                

Abstract:  The Montreal Process Criteria and Indicators for

Forest Sustainability (MP C&I) provide the foundation for the

2010 National Report on Sustainable Forests, a major Forest

Service reporting effort currently underway.  The processes

through which the MP C&I were derived and applied as well as the

specific content of selected indicators will be the focus of this

talk. The MP C&I include 64 indicators spanning ecological,

economic and social dimensions associated with the sustainability

of forest ecosystems, and they entail a host of technical and

conceptual issues related to data gathering, reporting and

interpretation.  Moreover, the underlying concept of

sustainability presents various challenges both when considered

generally and within the context of specific indicators.  These

topics and others will be discussed within the general context of

presenting the overall findings of the 2010 Report.

                               

Point of contact e-mail: grobertson02@...

 

*************************************************************

                      Program Announcement

*************************************************************

                               

Title:  Geographic Information (GIS) Data Collection and Storage

                               

Speakers:  Chuck Roberts, ESRI Federal Account Manager and Tosia

Shall, ESRI Sales Engineer

                               

Discussant:  TBD

                               

Chair:  Marcela Rourk, Mathematical Statistician, Energy

Information Administration

                               

Date/Time:  Wednesday, December 16, 2009 / 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.

                               

Location:  Bureau of Labor Statistics Conference Center.  To be

placed on the seminar list attendance list at the Bureau of Labor

Statistics you need to e-mail your name, affiliation, and seminar

name to wss_seminar@... (underscore after 'wss') by noon at

least 2 days in advance of the seminar or call 202-691-7524 and

leave a message.  Bring a photo ID to the seminar.  BLS is

located at 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE.  Use the Red Line to Union

Station.

                               

Sponsors:  WSS Data Collection Methods, WSS Agriculture and

Natural Resources and DC-AAPOR

                                

Abstract:  This presentation will describe methods creating

geographic data, storing it in a database, and displaying it for

analysis. We will detail methods of data collection,

what attributes differentiate GIS data from other types of data,

and how to best format the data for storage in a database.

                               

Once the data are geographically referenced in a database, we

will further explore how these GIS data can be accessed and

displayed with data from other sources to further enhance its

usability. These other sources of data can be internal or

external to your organization. We will discuss some of these

external data sites as well as detail how they disseminate their

GIS data.

                               

For further information contact Carol Joyce Blumberg at

carol.blumberg@...  or (202) 586-6565.

 

*************************************************************

                      Program Announcement

*************************************************************

                               

Title:  Comparing the Census Bureau's Master Address File (MAF)

with both Fresh Area Listing and Commercial Address Lists

                                

Speakers:  Clifford Loudermilk and Timothy Kennel

           Mathematical Statisticians

           U. S. Census Bureau

                               

Discussant:  Vince Iannacchione

             Senior Research Statistician

             RTI International

                               

Organizer:  David Judkins, Westat

            WSS Methodology Program Chair

                               

Chair:  Brian Meekins, BLS

        WSS Methodology Section Chair

                                

Date/Time:  Thursday, December 17, 2009 / 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

                               

Location:  Bureau of Labor Statistics Conference Center.  To be

placed on the seminar list attendance list at the Bureau of Labor

Statistics you need to e-mail your name, affiliation, and seminar

name to wss_seminar@... (underscore after 'wss') by noon at

least 2 days in advance of the seminar or call 202-691-7524 and

leave a message.  Bring a photo ID to the seminar.  BLS is

located at 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE.  Use the Red Line to Union

Station.                                   

 

Sponsor:  Methodology Section, WSS

Cosponsor:  Data Collection Methods, WSS

                                    

Abstract:  This is an expanded version of two talks from the JSM.

In the first talk, Loudermilk reports on joint work with Mei Li

to assess the suitability of the MAF  as a replacement for the

frame for current surveys at the Census Bureau such as  the

Current Population Survey.  They used fresh area listings for

this purpose.  In  the second talk, Kennel reports on joint work

with Mei Li to compare the  coverage of a commercially available

address list with that of the MAF and to  that from the same

fresh area listings produced to study MAF coverage.  Together,

these talks should be of high interest to sampling statisticians

both  inside and outside of the federal government.

 

*************************************************************

                      Program Announcement

*************************************************************

                                             

Title:  Developing a Data Analysis System for Categorical Survey

Data

                               

Speakers:  Phillip S. Kott

          Senior Research Statistician, RTI International

                               

Discussant:  TBD

             TBD

             TBD

                               

Chair:  Brian Meekins, BLS

                               

Date/Time:  Thursday, January 21, 2010 / 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.

                               

Location:  Bureau of Labor Statistics Conference Center.  To be

placed on the seminar list attendance list at the Bureau of Labor

Statistics you need to e-mail your name, affiliation, and seminar

name to wss_seminar@... (underscore after 'wss') by noon at

least 2 days in advance of the seminar or call 202-691-7524 and

leave a message.  Bring a photo ID to the seminar.  BLS is

located at 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE.  Use the Red Line to Union

Station.

                                   

Video Link:  Westat, Rockville Offices.  On a trial basis, Westat

is opening up its conference center for watching the lecture

remotely.  Reservation required.  Call Fran Winter,301-294-4419.

                               

Sponsor:  Methodology Program, WSS

                                    

Abstract:  Many government statistical agencies are either

thinking about developing a data analysis system (DAS) to display

interactively the results of their surveys or already have one in

place. A DAS can be used to generate tables at the user's

request and may even be able to conduct more sophisticated (but

still limited)  statistical analyses. Before constructing such a

system, there are a number of questions the agency must address.

Two in particular are of concern here for categorical data

derived from a sample survey: How is the anonymity of the survey

respondent to be protected given that the same user can make

multiple requests of the system; and should public users be

protected from the release of estimates with overly large

coverage intervals? We argue that the users themselves can decide

whether estimates are accurate enough for their purposes, but to

do that there need to be well-behaved coverage intervals for

those estimates. It turns out that the rule needed to construct

a good coverage interval for the estimated target is very similar

to that needed to assure data confidentiality.

 

*************************************************************

 

*************************************************************    

                    Announcement

*************************************************************

 

          ASA Committee on Law and Justice Statistics

           Open Solicitation for Research Proposals

 

The American Statistical Association (ASA) Committee on Law and

Justice Statistics announces a small grant program for the

analysis of Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and other

justice-related data. This program is designed to encourage the

creative and appropriate use of these data to inform substantive

and methodological issues. Awards are generally to be completed

within a two-year period and are typically in the range of

$25,000 to $40,000.

 

Proposals must be e-mailed by January 15, 2010. More information

can be found at:

http://www.amstat.org/careers/pdfs/BJSsolicitation.pdf

 

*************************************************************

                          Announcement

*************************************************************

 

The Applied and Computational Mathematics (ACM) Program at the

Johns Hopkins University will offer the graduate courses listed

below in the spring semester (25 January 2010 to 8 May 2010) at

locations in the Baltimore- Washington area (Montgomery, Howard,

and Harford Counties, Maryland).

                               

Subject to meeting admission criteria, a non-degree candidate may

register as a special student to take one or more courses to

enhance mathematical and statistical skills. These courses are

scheduled at times convenient for the working adult. Registration

and general information is at ep.jhu.edu.         

 

Information specific to the ACM Program is at

ep.jhu.edu/graduate-degree-programs/applied-and-computational-mat

hematics; web sites for individual courses are at

ep.jhu.edu/course-homepages. For further information related to

academic requirements and course content, please contact Dr.

James Spall, Program Chair, at james.spall@... or

240-228-4960.

                               

625.251 Applied Mathematics II (this course is not offered for

graduate credit)                                 

Instructor: James D'Archangelo

Time and location: Wednesdays, 7:20 - 10:00PM, Applied Physics

Laboratory (southern Howard County)

(This course is a companion to 625.250) Topics include ordinary

differential equations, Fourier series and integrals, the Laplace

transformation, Bessel functions and Legendre polynomials, and

an introduction to partial differential equations.

Prerequisites: Differential and integral calculus. Students with

no experience in linear algebra may find it helpful to take

625.250 Applied Mathematics I first. 

                               

625.403 Statistical Methods and Data Analysis (Offered at two

locations)

Location 1: Instructor: Sue-Jane Wang

Time and location: Mondays, 4:30 - 7:10PM, Montgomery County

Center (Rockville, MD)

Location 2: Instructor: Barry Bodt

Time and location: Tuesdays, 4:30 - 7:10PM, HEAT Center

(Aberdeen, Harford County, MD)

This course introduces commonly used statistical methods. The

intent of this course is to provide an understanding of

statistical techniques and guidance on the appropriate use of

methodologies. The course covers the mathematical foundations of

common methods as an aid towards understanding both the types of

applications that are appropriate and the limits of the methods.

Matlab and statistical software are used so students can apply

statistical methodology to practical problems in the workplace.

Topics include the basic laws of probability and descriptive

statistics, conditional probability, random variables,

expectation and variance, discrete and continuous probability

models, bivariate distributions and covariance, sampling

distributions, hypothesis testing, method of moments and maximum

likelihood point (MLE) estimation, confidence intervals,

contingency tables, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear

regression modeling.

Prerequisite: Multivariate calculus.

                               

625.404 Ordinary Differential Equations

Instructor: Ronald Farris

Time and location: Thursdays, 4:30 - 7:10PM, Applied Physics

Laboratory (southern Howard County)

Topics discussed throughout the course include methods of solving

first-order differential equations, existence and uniqueness

theorems, second-order linear equations, power series solutions,

higher-order linear equations, systems of equations, non-linear

equations, Sturm-Liouville theory, and applications.

Prerequisite: Two or more terms of calculus. 

                               

625.417 Applied Combinatorics and Discrete Mathematics

Instructor: J. Miller Whisnant

Time and location: Tuesdays, 4:30 - 7:10PM, Applied Physics

Laboratory (southern Howard County)

Combinatorics and discrete mathematics are increasingly important

fields of mathematics because of their extensive applications in

computer science, statistics, operations research, and

engineering.  The purpose of this course is to teach students to

model, analyze, and solve combinatorial and discrete mathematical

problems. Topics include elements of graph theory, graph coloring

and covering circuits, the pigeonhole principle, counting

methods, generating functions, recurrence relations and their

solution, and the inclusion-exclusion formula. Emphasis is on the

application of the methods to problem solving.

Prerequisite: Two or more terms of calculus.

                                

625.438 Neural Networks

Instructor: Mark Fleischer

Time and location: Mondays, 4:30 - 7:10PM, Applied Physics

Laboratory (southern Howard County)

This course provides an introduction to concepts in neural

networks and connectionist models.  Topics include parallel

distributed processing, learning algorithms, and applications.

Specific networks discussed include Hopfield networks,

bidirectional associative memories, perceptrons, feedforward

networks with back propagation, and competitive learning

networks, including self-organizing and Grossberg networks.

Software for some networks is provided.

Prerequisite: Multivariate calculus.

                               

625.461 Linear Models and Regression

Instructor: Allan D. McQuarrie

Time and location: Wednesdays, 7:20 - 10:00PM, Applied Physics

Laboratory (southern Howard County)

Introduction to regression and linear models including least

squares estimation, maximum likelihood estimation, the

Gauss-Markoff Theorem, and the Fundamental Theorem of Least

Squares. Topics include estimation, hypothesis testing,

simultaneous inference, model diagnostics, transformations,

multicollinearity, influence, model building and variable

selection. Advanced topics include nonlinear regression, robust

regression, and generalized linear models including logistic and

Poisson regression.

Prerequisites:  One semester of statistics (such as 625.403),

multivariate calculus, and linear algebra

                               

625.485 Number Theory (New Course)

Instructor: Leonid Stern

Time and location: Tuesdays, 7:20 - 10:00PM, Applied Physics

Laboratory (southern Howard County)

This course covers principal ideas of classical number theory,

including the fundamental theorem of arithmetic and its

consequences, congruences, cryptography and the RSA method,

polynomial congruences, primitive roots, residues, multiplicative

functions, and special topics.

Prerequisites: Multivariate calculus and linear algebra.

                               

625.710 Fourier Analysis with Applications to Signal Processing

and Differential Equations

Instructor: Richard Spencer

Time and location: Wednesdays, 4:30 - 7:10PM, Dorsey Center

(eastern Howard County near BWI Airport)

This is an applied course covering the theory and applications of

Fourier analysis, including the Fourier transform, the Fourier

series and the discrete Fourier transform. Applications in signal

processing will be emphasized, including the sampling theorem and

aliasing, convolution theorems, spectral analysis, and the

imaging point spread function. Further applications, also

incorporating the Laplace transform, will be taken from studies

of differential equations arising in engineering and physics.

Prerequisites: Some familiarity with complex variables,

differential equations, and linear algebra.

                               

625.722 Probability and Stochastic Processes II

Instructor: Mostafa Aminzadeh

Time and location: Wednesdays, 4:30 - 7:10PM, Applied Physics

Laboratory (southern Howard County)

This course is an introduction to the theory of discrete-time

stochastic processes. Emphasis in the this course is given to

Poisson processes, renewal theory, renewal reward process, Markov

chains, continuous-time Markov chains, birth and death process,

Brownian motion, and  random walks.

Prerequisites: Differential equations and 625.721 Probability and

Stochastic Process I or equivalent.

                               

625.728 Measure-Theoretic Probability

Instructor: Stacy Hill

Time and location: Thursdays, 4:30 - 7:10PM, Applied Physics

Laboratory (southern Howard County)

This course provides a rigorous, measure-theoretic introduction

to probability theory. It begins with the notion of fields,

sigma-fields, and measurable spaces, and also surveys elements

from integration theory and introduces random variables as

measurable functions. It then examines the axioms of probability

theory and fundamental concepts including conditioning,

conditional probability and expectation, independence, and modes

of convergence. Other topics covered include characteristic

functions, basic limit theorems (including the weak and strong

laws of large numbers), the central limit theorem, and

martingales.

Prerequisites: 625.401 Real Analysis and 625.403 Statistical

Methods and Data Analysis.

                               

625.734 Queuing Theory with Applications to Computer Science

Instructor: Christine Nickel

Time and location: Mondays, 7:20 - 10:00PM, Applied Physics

Laboratory (southern Howard County)

Queues are a ubiquitous part of everyday life; common examples

are supermarket checkout stations, help desks call centers,

manufacturing assembly lines, wireless communication networks,

and multi-tasking computers.  Queuing theory provides a rich and

useful set of mathematical models for the analysis and design of

service process for which there is contention for shared

resources.  This course explores both theory and application of

fundamental and advanced models in this field.  Fundamental

models include single and multiple server Markov queues, bulk

arrival and bulk service processes, and priority queues.

Applications emphasize communication networks and computer

operations, but may include examples from transportation,

manufacturing, and the service industry.  Advanced topics may

vary.

Prerequisites: Multivariate calculus and knowledge of

probability.

 

*************************************************************

                          Announcement

*************************************************************

                               

       Nominations Sought for 2010 Julius Shiskin Award

                               

Nominations are invited for the annual Julius Shiskin Memorial

Award for Economic Statistics. The Award is given in recognition

of unusually original and important contributions in the

development of economic statistics or in the use of statistics in

interpreting the economy. Contributions are recognized for

statistical research, development of statistical tools,

application of information technology techniques, use of economic

statistical programs, management of statistical programs, or

developing public understanding of measurement issues. The Award

was established in 1980 by the Washington Statistical Society

(WSS) and is now cosponsored by the WSS, the National Association

for Business Economics, and the Business and Economics Statistics

Section of the American Statistical Association (ASA). 

 

The award will be presented with an honorarium of $750 plus

additional recognition from the sponsors. A nomination form and a

list of all previous recipients are available on the ASA Website

at www.amstat.org/sections/bus_econ/shiskin.html .  Completed

nominations must be received by March 5, 2010.  For questions or

more information, please contact Steven Paben, Julius Shiskin

Award Committee Secretary, via e-mail at paben.steven@...  or

call 202-691-6147. 

 

*************************************************************

                          Announcement

*************************************************************

                               

                       JPSM Short Courses

 

www.jpsm.org/shortcourses

 

December 17-18, 2009

Introduction to Survey Sampling

Colm O'Muircheartaigh and James M. Lepkowski

Registration Deadline: December 3, 2009

 

January 11-12, 2010

Web Survey Design

Mick P. Couper

Registration Deadline: December 28, 2009

 

February 1-2, 2010

Experimental Design for Surveys

Roger Tourangeau

Registration Deadline: January 18, 2010

 

February 23-24, 2010

Balancing Data Confidentiality and Data Quality

Lawrence Cox

Registration Deadline: February 9, 2010

 

March 3-4, 2010

Introduction to Survey Estimation

David Morganstein and Richard L. Valliant

Registration Deadline: February 17, 2010

 

March 29-30, 2010

Writing Questions for Surveys: A Workshop

Nora Cate Schaeffer

Registration Deadline: March 15, 2010

 

April 22-23, 2010

Cognitive Interviewing Methods: A Hands-On Approach

Gordon B. Willis

Registration Deadline: April 8, 2010

 

May 4-5, 2010

Sampling and Estimation for Establishment Surveys

Richard Valliant and Phillip Kott

Registration Deadline: April 20, 2010

 

May 26, 2010 (1-Day course)

Introduction to Item Response Theory (IRT) Modeling and

Applications

Bryce B. Reeve

Registration Deadline: May 12, 2010

 

JPSM SHORT COURSES: www.jpsm.org/shortcourses 

 

SPONSOR AFFILIATE LIST:

projects.isr.umich.edu/jpsm/info.cfm#sponsors

 

JPSM HOME PAGE: www.jpsm.org 

 

Primary Funding for JPSM is from the Interagency Council on

Statistical Policy.

 

*************************************************************

 

*************************************************************    

                     Employment

*************************************************************

                               

As a service to local statisticians, WSS News provides

notification of employment opportunities and description of those

seeking employment here in the Washington, DC, area.  Readers are

encouraged to take advantage of this feature of the newsletter.

The deadline for inserting notices is five (5) weeks before the

publication date.  Those interested should email or call Anne

Peterson, at apeterson@... or (703)

373-6645.

                               

             ======================================

                             WESTAT

             AN EMPLOYEE-OWNED RESEARCH CORPORATION

             ======================================

 

WESTAT is an employee-owned corporation headquartered in the

suburbs of Washington, DC (Rockville, Maryland). We provide

statistical consulting and survey research to the agencies of the

U.S. Government and to a broad range of business and

institutional clients. With a strong technical and managerial

staff and a long record of quality research, Westat has become

one of the leading survey research and statistical consulting

organizations in the United States.

 

Our company was founded in 1961 by three statisticians. The

current staff of more than 1,900 includes over 60 statisticians,

as well as research, technical, and administrative staff. In

addition, our professional staff is supported by data collection

and processing personnel situated locally and in field sites

around the country.  The work atmosphere is open, progressive,

and highly conducive to professional growth.

 

Our statistical efforts continue to expand in areas such as the

environment, energy, health, education, and human resources.

Westat statisticians are actively involved in teaching

graduate-level courses in statistical methods and survey

methodology in collaborative arrangements with area colleges and

universities.

 

We are currently recruiting for the following statistical

position:

 

Survey Sampling Statistician (Job Code WSS/DRM/90001)

A total of 3 or more years of relevant experience in sample

design and selection, frames development, weighting, imputation,

and variance estimation. Applicant must have a master's or

doctoral degree in statistics and have excellent writing skills.

Coursework in sample survey design is highly desirable.

 

Westat offers excellent growth opportunities and an outstanding

benefits package including life and health insurance, an Employee

Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), a 401(k) plan, flexible spending

accounts, professional development, and tuition assistance. For

immediate consideration, please send your cover letter,

indicating the Westat Job Code, and resume, by one of the

following methods to:

 

Job Code is REQUIRED to apply.

Westat

Attn: Resume System

1650 Research Boulevard

Rockville, MD 20850-3195

Email: resume@... / FAX: (888) 201-1452

Equal Opportunity Employer.

 

www.westat.com

 

   ==========================================================

   ASSOCIATE TO FULL PROFESSOR OF STATISTICS OR BIOSTATISTICS

   ==========================================================

 

The Department of Statistics (DOS) and The Biostatistics Center

(BSC) of The George Washington University are recruiting a

tenured faculty position at the Associate Professor or Professor

level.  Basic Qualifications are a PhD in Statistics or

Biostatistics, an established program of research, and a strong

national and international reputation.  Core responsibilities of

the position will be to serve as Principal Investigator or

co-Investigator on one or more BSC major projects; to teach 1

course per year in the DOS and to advise PhD students in

Statistics and Biostatistics.  The position will be tenured and

funded 100% in Year 1.  Salary support will decrease to 25% over

a 5-year period.  The remaining salary will be funded by

sponsored projects (either at the BSC, or other external funding

secured by the faculty member).  Review of applications will

begin May 1, 2008 and will continue until the position is filled.

For additional information and the application procedure, please

see http://www.gwu.edu/~stat/.

 

The George Washington University is an Equal

Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

 

                ===============================

                CLINICAL TRIAL BIOSTATISTICIANS

                ===============================

 

The Biostatistics Center of The George Washington University is

currently recruiting biostatisticians to serve as Co-Investigator

or Principal Investigator (Project Director) and to provide

statistical direction of the design, conduct and analysis of

studies and the conduct of methodologic research to meet the

projects needs.

 

Basic Position Requirements: Doctorate in Biostatistics,

Statistics or Epidemiology, or alternatively an M.D. or Ph.D. in

Biological Science, Physical Science or Computer Science with a

Masters in Biostatistics or Statistics, 1-5 years' experience

with clinical trials, especially study design and statistical

analysis of study results using SAS, excellent oral and written

English communication skills, and supervisory experience.  All

interested applicants at the rank of Assistant Professor in

Biostatistics or Statistics may apply for the Samuel W.

Greenhouse Biostatistics Research Enhancement Award. For a period

of 1 year, the award will provide 20% effort for methodological

research, professional activities and travel.   Review of

applications is ongoing until the positions are filled.  For

complete information and application procedures, please visit our

website at: www.bsc.gwu.edu. Only complete applications will be

considered

 

The George Washington University is an Equal

Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

 

                   -------------------------

                   DIRECTOR OF BIOSTATISTICS

                   -------------------------

 

Interested candidates should apply under

http://www.hjf.org/careers/search.html for Job ID#

203931  Faculty Position: Director of Biostatistics, Infectious

Disease Clinical Research Program (IDCRP) in the Department of

Preventive Medicine and Biometrics (PMB) at Uniformed Services

University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD

 

Responsibilities

 

Seeking a Director of Biostatistics for the Infectious Disease

Clinical Research Program (IDCRP)  in the Department of

Preventive Medicine/Biometrics (PMB) at Uniformed Services

University of  the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD.  The

incumbent reports to the Director of the IDCRP. 

Responsibilities are to coordinate and provide biostatistical

support for clinical and/or laboratory  research, oversee

statistical support and collaborations in clinical research

protocols carried out in  the IDCRP, and coordinate IDCRP data

management activities within IDCRP and with senior  personnel at

the collaborating data management activity.  Oversee coordination

of statistical review  requirements to support scientific review

board and data monitoring board activities.  Direct and  lecture

in graduate level courses on clinical research and lecture to

medical students.  Mentors  graduate students, residents, and

fellows conducting clinical research.  Mentors junior

biostatisticians and promotes additional publications and

presentations of applications/methods for  problems motivated by

clinical research collaborations.  Must have knowledge of medical

science  and research; knowledge of statistics relevant to

clinical research; ability to communicate  effectively; ability

to make effective presentations and publish; excellent verbal,

written and  interpersonal skills.  This involves performing

statistical analysis on data collected from clinical  trials,

laboratory / translational research experiments, and/or

epidemiologic observational research  studies.

 

Incumbent provides senior management of statistical analysis and

data management activities within  IDCRP. Coordinates with senior

personnel at collaborating data coordinating/analysis

organizations  to work toward and address research program goals.

Recommends and advises on the design of  biomedical research

protocols. Provides statistical support via statistical

consultation and data  analyses throughout the courses of studies

and prepares statistical reports for presentations and

publications. Provides relevant statistical and project status

updates to research staff.  Recommends  and implements changes as

needed. Coordinates statistical review requirements to support

scientific  review board and data monitoring board activities.

Works with research staff to achieve the goals  of the research

program. Supervises junior biostatisticians and data analysts.

Direct and lecture in  graduate level courses on clinical

research and lecture to medical students.  Mentors graduate

students, residents, and fellows conducting clinical research.

Performs other duties as required. 

 

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:  experience in the

design, monitoring, and analysis of  clinical trials and/or

epidemiologic observational studies; experience in organizing and

tracking  multiple statistical support activities; experience in

research administration, including supervision  of statistical

and/or data management personnel; knowledge of medical science

and research;  collaborative/ participatory decision-making

skills; skills for identifying and addressing statistical  issues

in applications for extramural research; ability to communicate

effectively; ability to make  effective presentations and

publish; excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills.

 

Minimum Education/Training Requirements:  Ph.D. in Biostatistics,

Statistics or related field

 

Minimum Experience:  At least 10 years experience, having

progressed to the level of senior  statistician managing a data

coordinating and analysis center for 1 or more clinical research

contract(s)/grant(s)/program(s).

 

Physical Capabilities:  extended periods of sitting

 

Supervisory Responsibilities/Controls:  supervises junior

biostatisticians

 

Work Environment:  office or laboratory environment

 

Any qualifications to be considered as equivalents, in lieu of

stated minimums, require the prior  approval of the Director of

Human Resources, Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement

of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF)

 

                  ---------------------------

                    The Biostatistics Center

                  Research Assistant Position

                  ---------------------------

                                

The Biostatistics Center of the George Washington University is

seeking an individual interested in working on a new and exciting

study of the Microbiome of the lung in HIV-infected patients.  We

are looking for a person with demonstrated leadership

qualitiesand organizational skills.  The successful candidate

must be a self-starter, detailed oriented, and possesses good

oral and written communication skills.  The position involves

completing a wide-variety of duties from writing reports and

updating investigators on study progress, to overseeing data

collection and management, as well as developing and maintaining

a manual of operations and other documentation.

 

Must have a BA/BS degree with preference given to those with a

mathematics, statistics, or science background; 1-3 years working

experience in a research environment; and excellent oral/written

communication skills required.  Demonstrated experience in any of

the following areas is a plus; data management, specimen

tracking, R-programming, and setting up quality assurance

programs.  Position title and salary will be commensurate with

experience and qualifications.  Tuition benefits for employees,

spouse and dependents. 

 

Letter referencing UR# 15905 and resume to Ms. Monroe, The George

Washington University Biostatistics Center, at

ResearchJobs@..., fax 301-881-3742 or mail to 6110

Executive Blvd., #750, Rockville, MD 20852. No phone calls

please.  Visit our website at: www.bsc.gwu.edu.

EOE/AA. 

 

       -------------------------------------------------      

       BRANCH CHIEF (SUPERVISORY AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIST)

                                               

             USDA'S ECONOMIC RESEARCH SERVICE (ERS)

             RESOURCE AND RURAL ECONOMICS DIVISION

                 FARM AND RURAL BUSINESS BRANCH

        -------------------------------------------------        

                              

Client:

The Economic Research Service (ERS) serves as the research and

policy arm of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

With 400 employees and a budget of approximately $80 million, ERS

conducts research that informs decision-makers on public programs

and policies involving agricultural commodities, food, farming,

natural resources, and rural development; a spectrum that ranges

from biotechnology to food stamps, from farmland protection to

meat inspection, and from commodity policy to global

inter-sectoral trade.  The Farm and Rural Business Branch (FRB)

develops, interprets, and disseminates current analyses and

longer term perspectives on the financial structure and

performance of farms, the farm sector, and rural areas.  Notably,

the Branch produces USDA's estimates and forecasts of farm

income.  The Branch plays a key role in development of the survey

data that underpin the farm income estimates and the research

program (the Agricultural Resource Management Survey or ARMS).

Research themes include analysis of farm business formation to

understand how ownership and operating structures affect access

to resources, financial performance, and the distribution of

income and wealth. Farmer's choices regarding input procurement,

market channels, work, and investment are examined and linkages

between farm and non-farm businesses and rural communities are

analyzed. The Branch monitors rural industry structure to assess

changes in economic base, income, and employment. Sources and

processes of rural economic growth are examined, with an emphasis

on such factors as amenities, creative capital, and

entrepreneurship. Rural development strategies are examined with

a primary focus on assessing access to, and use of, information

and communication technologies in rural areas, tourism and

recreation, and energy and renewable fuels.

 

Duties and Responsibilities:

 

A.   Scope of Assignment

 

Reporting to the Director, Resource and Rural Economics Division

(RRED), the Branch Chief is responsible for planning, directing,

and managing the Branch's program of agricultural economic

research, analysis, and information dissemination.  This includes

the coordination and integration of this Branch's program of

research and analysis with those of other branches within ERS. 

 

The Branch Chief is responsible for serving as the Agency's

reference point to provide economic advice and counsel relating

to the Branch's area of responsibility.  This includes providing

technical information and advice to other U.S. government

agencies, and serving on various Department-level committees, as

well as interagency and interdepartmental task forces.

 

B.  Technical Responsibility

 

The Branch Chief is responsible for defining research studies and

analyses to be undertaken within the Branch and allocating

resources, and is also responsible for the validity and integrity

of the economic results produced.  This includes the oversight of

data collection, economic analysis and research; publication of

results and findings; and selecting appropriate methods for

dissemination of the results of research including working

papers, agency publications, professional journals, and

magazines.

 

The Branch Chief is responsible for providing the overall

management of a number of technically-complex projects which

involve selecting or developing the most appropriate and current

research methodologies, often of great complexity, and applying

them to extremely complicated economic problems.  He/she is

responsible for maintaining a high degree of expertise in the

subject-matter areas of technical concern to the Branch and in

the process of adapting and modifying methods of economic

research and analysis and/or developing and designing new methods

as necessary to provide solutions to technical problems.

 

The Branch Chief represents the Branch within the Department,

with responsibility for oversight, or coordination of, the

preparation of briefings/working papers for the Secretary of

Agriculture or the Under Secretary for Research, Economics, and

Education, and of position papers for national and international

meetings.

 

C.   Administrative Responsibility

 

The Branch Chief is responsible for the development of program

and product plans for the Branch.  This includes work plans, as

well as development and justification of a budget.  The incumbent

is responsible for identifying promising and pertinent areas of

research, providing technical advice to develop and expand

research activities, and thus helping to plan the ERS research

and analytical program as well as its related product/publication

portfolio.

 

The Branch Chief rates performance of, and approves sick and

annual leave for, all Branch employees.  The incumbent selects

new employees for the Branch and recommends current employees for

promotion.  He/she hears and resolves major grievances and

employee complaints and makes recommendations concerning more

serious disciplinary actions.  The incumbent consults with

employees regarding training needs and submits final

recommendations.  He/she also keeps employees informed regarding

personnel and other administrative programs, and maintains

morale, discipline, and constructive employee relations.

    

Requirements:

 

A minimum of 10 years sophisticated economic and/or financial

research.  A Ph.D. in Economics, Agricultural Economics, or

Finance is highly preferred.

 

Technical Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

(KSAs):  (Please develop a written response, of no more than one

page, to each KSA.)

 

1.   Demonstrated ability to plan, develop, and manage a program

of economic research and outlook,  and its dissemination.

Expertise in the economics of business or farm finance a plus.

       

2.   Ability to lead and accomplish work through others (includes

conflict management, cultural awareness, team building, and

integrity/honesty).

 

3.   Demonstrated skill in communicating economic concepts and

research results to a variety of audiences including

peer-reviewed publications, and making presentations to

high-level policy officials, academics, and other audiences.

 

4.    Ability to communicate with individuals or groups from

diverse backgrounds in a variety  of situations (including oral

and written communication, influencing/negotiating, partnering,

interpersonal skills, and political savvy.)

 

Location:   Washington, DC

 

 Compensation: to $153,200

 

EEO:  All candidates will be considered without regard to race,

color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, or

disability. The ERS provides reasonable accommodations to

applicants with disabilities.

 

Deadline: To be considered, applications must be received no

later than midnight, November 30,

2009.

 

Citizenship:  U.S. Citizenship required.  You may be required to

obtain a security clearance.

 

Contact:

                           Jennifer Moss

                       JDG Associates, Ltd.

                      1700 Research Boulevard

                        Rockville, MD 20850

                           301-340-2210

                        moss@...

 

JDG Associates, established in 1973, is a leading provider of

executive recruiting services to the federal government, non

profit organizations, associations, Fortune 1000 corporations,

and a variety of government contractors.

 

 --------------------------------------------------------------

              GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

                               

                    FACULTY BIOSTATISTICIAN

                        CLINICAL TRIALS

 DEPARTMENT OF BIOSTATISTICS, BIOINFORMATICS AND BIOMATHEMATICS

 ---------------------------------------------------------------

 

The Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and

Biomathematics invites applications for a position as a

tenure-track assistant or associate professor of Biostatistics.

Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Biostatistics or Statistics,

expertise in the application of statistical methodology to

clinical trials and at least 3 years experience in this field.

The requirements for this position are a strong research

background, excellent communication skills and an interest in

teaching. The successful candidate will collaborate with

physicians and scientists from the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer

Center, conduct independent biostatistical research, and teach in

our Master's degree program.

 

Interested individuals should send a letter of application,

curriculum vitae, and the names and addresses (including e-mail

address) of three references to:

 

     Fran oise Seillier-Moiseiwitsch, Chair

     Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and

       Biomathematics

     Georgetown University Medical Center

     Building D, Suite 180

     4000 Reservoir Road

     Washington, DC 20057-1484

or   lrs8@...

 

This position has an immediate starting date.  Applications will

be reviewed until the position is filled.

 

           ----------------------------------------

                    Vice President, Research

           American Academy of Physician Assistants

           ----------------------------------------

 

The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) is recruiting

for the position, Vice President, Research.   This position

reports to the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

 

AAPA is the national voice for physician assistants (PAs) in all

medical and surgical specialties. Today there are over 76,000

practicing PAs in the United States and approximately 12,000

students in 145 PA programs.  Approximately 42,000 PAs are

members of AAPA; included in this membership number are 8,800 PA

students.

 

AAPA has an annual operating budget of approximately $17 million

and a staff of 86.  Our office is located in Alexandria,

Virginia. 

 

In this position, you will play a critical role in advocating for

and supporting the PA Profession through data analysis and

research. We are looking for a health services researcher with a

minimum of 10 years experience conducting research on a broad

range of health policy topics.  You must have extensive

experience in designing and conducting healthcare research using

primary and secondary data collection and analytical techniques.

This includes developing survey instruments, ongoing data

collection, and analysis of information related to the Physician

Assistant profession obtained from a variety of sources,

including the AAPA census, educational institutions, state

provided data, and supplemental ad hoc surveys.

 

You will interface with members to support research and analysis

on the profession and the profession's impact on in the health

care arena. In addition, you will prepare research reports and

articles for dissemination via the internet and publications such

as the PA Professional, the Journal of the American Academy of

Physician Assistants and other peer reviewed journals. You will

provide data and analysis on PAs for AAPA staff to use for a

variety of purposes, such as:  lobbying for changes in PA

practice laws; promoting the profession to physician

organizations, health care institutions, and employers; changing

insurance company policies to cover services provided by PAs; and

assisting individual members to remove practice barriers.

 

Education and Experience Requirements

 

   -    Master's degree with minimum of 10 years professional

experience with a publication track   record in health services

research, statistics or relevant field related to healthcare;

Ph.D.  preferred.

   -    Advanced knowledge of survey research methods, survey

design, data processing, statistics, and computer applications

   -    Experience working with a variety of information systems

and data files, including large and complex files: analyzing

structure, using and creating file layouts, transforming raw data

into finished products.

   -    Excellent writing and speaking ability including

excellent interpersonal skills

   -    Detailed- and results-oriented, well organized, flexible,

ability to prioritize and work on many project concurrently. 

   -    Available to do some travel and work some weekends.

        

We offer a very competitive benefits package.

 

To apply, send your resume and a detailed cover letter along with

your salary requirements to HR@.... Your cover letter should

explain why you are interested in this position.  It should

provide information pertinent to your experiences as they relate

to the Vice President, Research position.

 

 

*************************************************************

*************************************************************

*************************************************************

*************************************************************

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*************************************************************

 

 

Washington Statistical Society

Holiday Party

Thursday December 17th, 2009 6:00pm

 

At the Brickskeller

http://www.lovethebeer.com/brickskeller.html

1523 22nd St NW (Between P & Q street)

Washington, DC 20037

Tele: 202.293.1885

 

Cash Bar

Some dishes to be served (all inclusive):

 

Mussels

Cheese Platter

Chicken Wings

 

 

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Potatoes Skins

Various Sandwiches

 

 

Price  $30

       $15 (students)   

 

Please make check payable to:  "Washington Statistical Society"

 Include the full names of all individuals paid for by the check.

Send to: Chris Cummiskey

         701 13th Street, NW Suite 750

         Washington, DC 20005

(Checks and cash will be accepted at the party)

 

Questions? Please Contact: Chris Cummiskey

           ccummiskey@... / (202) 728-2064

         

Metro Directions (map): Exit the Dupont Circle Red Line metro

stop at Q St., veer left off the escalator and walk two blocks

down Q St. Cross Mass Ave and veer left onto 22nd St. We are a

half block down the road on the left, directly across the street

from the church between P and Q St.

         

 

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Statistics Seminar

Please check for  seminar  updates at: http://www.math.umd.edu/statistics/seminar.html

Directions to Campus:  http://www.math.umd.edu/department/directions/car_directions.html

 

SPEAKER: Prof. Jordan Stoyanov, Newcastle University
                    Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

TITLE: Moment Analysis of Distributions: Recent Developments

TIME AND PLACE:  Thursday, November 19, 2009, 3:30pm
                                      Room 1313, Math Bldg

ABSTRACT: We start with classical conditions under which a distribution with finite moments is M-determinate (unique), however our goal is to focus on recent results providing conditions under which a distribution is M-determinate or M-indeterminate (non-unique). Thus we will be able to analyze Box-Cox functional transformations of random data, before and/or after transforming, and characterize the moment determinacy of their distributions. Popular distributions such as Normal, Skew-Normal, Log-normal, Skew-Log-Normal, Exponential, Gamma, Poisson, IG, etc. will be used as examples. Distributions of Random walks and of Stochastic processes such as the Geometric BM and the solutions of SDEs will also be considered. We will illustrate the practical importance of these properties in areas such as Financial modeling and Statistical inference problems. Several facts will be reported. It seems, some of them are not so well-known, they are a little surprising and even shocking. However they are all quite instructive. The talk will be addressed to professionals in Statistics/Probability, Stochastic modelling, and also to Doctoral and Master students in these areas. If time permits, some open questions will be discussed.

 

The George Washington University
The Institute for Integrating Statistics in Decision Sciences
Department of Statistics

Title: What Data Mining Teaches Me About Teaching Statistics

Speaker: Dick De Veaux, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Williams College

Date: Thursday, November 19, 2009

Time: 4:00-5:00pm

Location: Funger Hall, Room 620 (2201 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052)

Abstract:

Data mining has been defined as a process that uses a variety of data analysis and modeling techniques to discover patterns and relationships in data that may be used to make accurate predictions and decisions. Statistical inference concerns the same problems. Are the two really different? Through a series of case studies, we will try to illuminate some of the challenges and characteristics of data mining. Each case study reminds us that the important issues are often the ones that transcend the methodological choice one faces when solving real world problems. What lessons can these teach us about teaching the introductory course?

 

The George Washington University
The Institute for Integrating Statistics in Decision Sciences
Department of Decision Sciences

Speaker: Marti A. Hearst
  School of Information, University of California, Berkeley

Title:  Social Technology
      
Time:  Friday, November 20th, 11:00-12:00 noon 

Place:  Duques Hall 254 (2201 G Street, NW)

Abstract

We are in the midst of extraordinary change in how people interact with one another and with information. A combination of advances in technology and change in people's expectations is altering the way products are sold, scientific problems are solved, software is written, elections are conducted, and government is run. People are social animals, and as Shirky notes, we now have tools that are flexible enough to match our in-built social capabilities.  Things can get done that weren't possible before because the right expertise, the missing information, or a large enough group of people can now be gathered together at low cost. These developments open a number of interesting research questions and potentially change how scientific research should be conducted. In this talk I will attempt to summarize and put some structure around some of these developments.

 

The George Washington University
The Institute for Integrating Statistics in Decision Sciences
Department of Decision Sciences

Speaker: Javier Pena, Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University

Title:  Algorithms for Computing Nash Equilibria of Large Sequential  Games
      
Time:  Friday, November 13th 3:30-4:30 pm 

Place:  Duques Hall 553 (2201 G Street, NW)

Abstract

Finding a Nash equilibrium of an extensive form game is a central problem in computational game theory. For a two-person, zero-sum game this problem can be formulated as a linear program, which in principle is solvable via standard algorithms such as the simplex or interior-point methods. However, most interesting games lead to enormous linear programs that are beyond today's computational capabilities. We propose specialized algorithms that tailor modern smoothing techniques to the highly structured polytopes that arise in the Nash equilibrium formulation. We discuss computational results with instances of poker, whose Nash equilibrium formulation has about nearly a billion variables and a billion  constraints.

 

Folks:

 

Please see the attached for annual WSS dinner.

 

Best,

 

Vince