Statistics: A Key to Innovation in a Data-Centric World!

Abstract

It is a great time to be a statistician; we are needed by every scientist in the world! We have a lot to be proud of. It feels like just yesterday, I was introduced to statistics, when I entered the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata. ISI’s founder, P. C. Mahalanobis, had passed away a few years before I joined ISI, but his refrain that statistics is a key technology to solve realworld problems, was still very much in the air and profoundly impressed me. To this day, I retain my unwavering faith that statistics, or statistical thinking, is the real key to innovation in a data-centric world. That is the topic of my speech tonight—Statistics—a key to innovation in a data-centric world. First, I would emphasize how our members in academia, industry, and government are making innovative contributions to advancing science. Second, I would talk about the opportunities where statisticians can play an important role in formulating new policies, have an impact, and make us more visible. Finally, I would talk about some of the challenges that our profession and our association are facing, how you can GIVE to ASA, and how we can realize a brighter future that is ahead of us. Before I jump into my main three points, and while I still have your attention, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our ASA members for your support. Also, I would like to thank a few folks in particular who made a significant impact in my life—my classmates from ISI and Iowa State; all my excellent colleagues, alumni, staff, and students at NC State, where my heart and home are; ASA presidents, staff and board members; and Executive Directors Bill Smith and Ron Wasserstein. Ron has been very helpful to me for the past few years, and I am very glad to see his hard work for ASA, first hand. I am also grateful to my well wishers like, Tom Gerig, Dan Solomon, and Jackie Hughes-Oliver from NC State, Wayne Fuller from Iowa State, and two past ASA Presidents, Stu Hunter, and Fritz Scheuren. I would like to be upfront, and mention that, I have received a considerable amount of help with this talk, from my long term ISI buddy, Srinivas Bhogle, who works for a Washington based company called TEOCO. Finally, I want to thank my wife Sobha, and our daughter Asha, for their patience, love, and for putting up with all my jobs and travels. I am sure I forgot to mention many, but I want to go ahead [and] alert you now . . . in my talk, I will mention a few names,