'Year of statistics' celebration to be held Thursday at CMU

The Mid-Michigan Chapter of the American Statistical Association is gearing up for its 2013 International Year of Statistics celebrations.

In its first year, the International Year of Statistics was created to publicly promote statistics worldwide. This initiative will highlight the efforts made by statisticians in finding solutions to global issues.

"One of the goals of (the International Year of Statistics) is to make the public aware of the power and usefulness of statistics," ASA Chapter President and Central Michigan University Professor of Mathematics Felix Famoye said.

There are approximately 1,800 groups spread across roughly 121 countries celebrating the International Year of Statistics.

There are about 60 members in the Mid-Michigan ASA Chapter, composed of students from CMU, Michigan State University, Saginaw Valley State University, Alma College, Ferris State University, Northwood University and Delta College.

In celebration of the International Year of Statistics, guest speaker and Oakland University Professor of Statistics Ravi Khattree will serve as the keynote speaker at the chapter's Thursday meeting.

Khattree's major research area is applied statistics with special emphasis in multivariate analysis, repeated measures data, classification problems, inference for variance components and bioequivalence. Khattree is also the editor and co-editor of several international journals.

Former ASA president and CMU Professor of Statistics Carl Lee has been a member of the Mid-Michigan ASA since it was formed in the mid-1990s. He is also a lifetime member of ASA.

Lee appreciates the networking and learning opportunities he has gained through his membership.

"This is a networking opportunity for people," he said. "I have gotten to know other statisticians in the area with whom I can exchange ideas, research and teaching practices."

Lee is passionate about statistics and is pleased to see 2013 highlighting its importance worldwide.

“This is a unique opportunity to share and promote what statisticians have been doing and what kinds of contributions statisticians can make to impact a society," Lee said.

In October, ASA will host an event at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort to celebrate the International Year of Statistics. This event will be sponsored by the CMU department of mathematics.

The ASA's spring meeting will be held from 7 to 8: 30 p.m. Thursday in Pearce 138.