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• Statistical Consulting Network Monthly Meet-Up

  • Start
    25 Feb 2026
  •  
  • End
    25 Nov 2026
  •  
  • Schedule
    10 sessions
  • Location
    Online via Zoom

  Come along with your thinking cap, maybe a problem, and some lunch!
  Note new time - we have moved to Wednesdays!

  The Statistical Consulting Network invites you to their monthly online meet-up, a virtual lunchtime meeting where statisticians help each other out with problems that they aren’t sure how to deal with.

  This virtual meeting is held on Zoom at lunchtime on the last Wednesday of each month, 12:00-1:00 PM (AEDT). They start each meet-up with announcements, or occasionally a special topic discussion, then discuss problems that attendees have brought along with them.

  Zoom link

  Password: 543284

  Calendar invite: ​​Stats Consulting Network meeting.ics

  2026 Dates

  • Wednesday 25 February 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM AEDT
  • Wednesday 25 March 2026, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM AEDT
  • Wednesday 29 April 2026, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM AEST
  • Wednesday 27 May 2026, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM AEST
  • Wednesday 24 June 2026, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  • Wednesday 29 July 2026 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM AEST
  • Wednesday 26 August 2026 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM AEST
  • Wednesday 30 September 2026 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM AEST
  • Wednesday 28 October 2026 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM AEDT
  • Wednesday 25 November 2026 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM AEDT

  
  The Statistical Consulting Network also has a Slack workspace where members of the consulting network can communicate between meetings, or post problems or relevant materials they would like to discuss during a meeting.​​

  Slack Workspace link  

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• SSA ACT April meeting: Monthly Rainfall Data in the Murray Darling Basin: A Journey through Space and Time

  • When
    28 Apr 2026
  •  
    5:45 PM
  • Location
    Allan Barton Forum, Level 2, ANU College of Business & Economics, Building 26C, The Australian National University (ANU Building 26C)

  The Australian Capital Territory Branch of the Statistical Society will be holding its next meeting on Tuesday 28th April in person and online via Zoom. For those attending in person, there will be the opportunity to meet for dinner afterwards in Canberra City.

  Date: Tuesday 28th April 2026

  Time: 5:45pm (AEST) followed by dinner (details below)

  Venue: Allan Barton Forum, Level 2, ANU College of Business & Economics, Building 26C, The Australian National University (ANU Building 26C)

  Online by Zoom: https://anu.zoom.us/j/89097977503?pwd=kzflDfWJLSKBn917WBW1LEcd2WTbKE.1

  NB: registration not required for this event

  Title: Monthly Rainfall Data in the Murray Darling Basin: A Journey through Space and Time

  The Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) is an important agricultural area in southeastern Australia that produces more than a third of Australia’s food supply and therefore understanding rainfall patterns in this area is crucial. This talk will give an overview of the various analyses that we have conducted on a set of monthly rainfall data obtained from a network of weather stations in the MDB. The data are part of the Australian climate change site networks that include several high-quality weather datasets and are available from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. The monthly rainfall data are spatio-temporal in nature, and our analyses have included methods for modelling the data, producing predictions in both space and time, and imputing missing values.
  [co-authors: Gen Nowak, Alan Welsh, Lingbing Feng, Pierre Dutilleul, Terry O'Neill]

  Presenter: Gen Nowak

  
  

  Gen Nowak is a Senior Lecturer in Statistics in the Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies and Statistics at ANU. His research focuses on developing and applying statistical methodologies to answer questions in a variety of fields including cancer research and climate change. He has worked on statistical applications in lung cancer and breast cancer and has developed various spatio-temporal models for analysing rainfall. 

  Dinner: After the talk, there will be a dinner at 7.15pm at Bistro Nguyen's, 78-80 Alinga St, Canberra

  If you plan to attend the dinner, please RSVP by 5:00 pm on Monday 27 April by entering your details in the SSA ACT Branch dinner attendance sheet, or by contacting Warren at wjmstats@outlook.com or 0407 916 868. Please treat your RSVP as a firm commitment rather than an expression of interest.

  If you need to withdraw after the deadline, please remove your name from the attendance sheet and notify Warren by phone or text on 0407 916 868. Please note that last-minute requests to attend during the event cannot be accommodated, so be sure to RSVP through the attendance sheet in advance.

  NOTE: SSA ACT branch are offering discounts to SSA early career and student members who attend dinner! For this meeting, dinners will be a fixed charge of $15 for student members and $25 for early career members. 

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• SSA and NZSA Mentoring Program Professional Skills Webinar Series. Webinar 2: Effective networking as a statistician

  • When
    7 May 2026
  •  
    11:00 AM
  • Location
    Online via Zoom

  Register

  Join us for the SSA Mentoring Program Professional Skills Webinar Series, which in 2026 will be co-delivered with the NZSA Mentor Programme. This online professional development series is invaluable to statisticians who are looking to improve and enhance their skills in communication, time and project management. 

  
  

  Webinar 2: 

  Effective Networking as a Statistician

  Presenter: Prof Kelley M Kidwell, University of Michigan

  Date and Time: Thursday 7th May 2026, 11am AEST

  
  

  Abstract

  Effective networking is a critical but often under (or never) taught professional skill for statisticians at all career stages. In this seminar, we will reframe networking as a purposeful, values driven practice focused on building authentic, mutually beneficial professional relationships rather than transactional exchanges. Designed for both mentors and mentees, the talk will address how networking goals and strategies evolve across career stages and roles, and how mentors can actively support mentees in developing sustainable professional networks. Drawing on examples from academia, collaborative research, and professional service, the seminar will cover practical approaches to networking in one on one, group, and virtual settings; strategies for initiating and maintaining professional connections; and common barriers to networking, including discomfort, power dynamics, and time constraints. Participants will also discuss how inclusive and intentional networking strengthens mentoring relationships and contributes to long term career development within the statistical community. The session will be interactive and reflective, with actionable takeaways for integrating networking into everyday professional practice.

  
  

  Presenter's Bio - Professor Kelley M. Kidwell

  
  

  Kelley M. Kidwell is Professor of Biostatistics and Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs in the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on the design and analysis of clinical trials, with methodological work aimed at better aligning how medicine and public health are practiced—through individualized, sequential decision-making—with how they are experimentally studied. Her collaborative research spans diverse clinical areas, including mental health, substance use, pain, and perioperative care. In addition to her research, she is deeply committed to graduate and professional development and created the course Graduate Student and Professional Success Skills for MS and PhD students in Biostatistics to address essential skills often absent from the technical curriculum.

  
  

  Webinars:

  • Webinar 1: Thursday 23rd April 2026 12pm AEST. Building a team, one person at a time - A/Prof David Price, Doherty Institute
  • Webinar 2: Thursday 7th May 2026 11am AEST. Effective networking as a statistician - Prof Kelley M Kidwell, University of Michigan

  • Webinar 3: Thursday 18th June 2026 12pm AEST. Robust reproducible research - Dr Simon Tuke, University of Adelaide

  • Webinar 4: Thursday 30th July 2026 12pm AEST. Unlock your Mentoring Potential -  Lisa Thomasen, Fonterra, New Zealand

  
  

  Fees:

  • Mentoring program participants – Free (both SSA and NZSA) Registration code required
  • Non SSA/NZSA Members – $60.00 
  • SSA/NZSA Members – $30.00 

  
  

  Cancellation Policy:

  Cancellations received prior to two weeks before the event will be refunded, minus the Stripe processing fee (1.75% + $0.30 per transaction) and an SSA administration fee of $20.

  From then on, no part of the registration fee will be refunded. However, registrations are transferable within the same organisation. Please advise any changes to events@statsoc.org.au.  

  Show details
• Where Do R Packages Live - a Webinar by the Statistical Computing and Visualisation section

  • When
    20 May 2026
  •  
    5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
  • Location
    Online

  Register

  The Statistical Computing and Visualisation section of the Statistical Society of Australia proudly presents a members only webinar on Where Do R Packages Live.

  
  

  Date: Wednesday 20 May

  Time: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM (AEST)

  Online via Zoom: details provided upon registration

  Abstract:

  Where R Packages Live brings together key stewards of the R ecosystem for a behind-the-scenes chat about where R packages are built, reviewed, distributed, and sustained.

  Featuring representatives from R foundation, CRAN, Bioconductor, R-universe (rOpenSci), and Posit, this panel will unpack the distinct roles each platform plays — and how they collectively interact with our work

  Whether you’re a developer, researcher, or data scientist, this discussion will demystify the infrastructure underpinning R’s package ecosystem and offer practical guidance on choosing the right home for your work.

  Key Learnings from attending webinar

  • Understand the roles and differences between R foundation, Bioconductor, R-universe, and Posit in the R ecosystem
  • Learn the submission, review, and maintenance expectations across platforms
  • Identify which repository or distribution pathway best suits different use cases of R packages
  • Gain insight into long-term sustainability, discoverability, and governance of packages

  Speaker Bios

  Di Cook (she/her), R Foundation - Melbourne

  
  

  Di Cook is Professor of Statistics in Econometrics and Business Statistics at Monash University, Melbourne. She is a member of the R Foundation Board and a past editor of the R Journal. She is a co-author of 37 R packages and the maintainer of 6 packages on CRAN. Her representation on the panel brings experience in successfully sharing with CRAN and publishing papers on the software.

  Stevie Pederson (they/them), Kids Institute, Bioconductor - Adelaide

  
  

  Having run the Bioinformatics Hub at the University of Adelaide from 2014-2020, Dr Stevie Pederson is now based at The Kids Research Institute Australia, leading the analysis of the transcriptomics layer for a large cohort, multiomics study addressing the high Type 2 Diabetes rates within the Australian Aboriginal community. Since commencing in 2015, their 3-day training course "RAdelaide" has become one of the largest & longest running R training events in Australia.

  They are also an enthusiastic member of the Bioconductor developer community, as the maintainer of 5 Bioconductor packages and 1 CRAN package, and currently serve as Co-Chair of the Bioconductor Community Advisory Board.

  Jeroen Ooms (he/him), rOpenSci, R universe, CRAN team - Amsterdam

  
  

  Jeroen Ooms is a research software engineer focused on the R programming language and open-source tools. He currently divides his time between developing R-universe, funded via the R Consortium, and working with the Tidyverse team at Posit, where he maintains key R packages and contributes to projects including the R WebAssembly port. He earned his PhD in Statistics from UCLA in 2014 and has also worked with rOpenSci and UC Berkeley.

  Jeroen is widely known for his contributions to the R ecosystem and for building infrastructure that supports reproducible, accessible, and community-driven software development.

  Valerie Bucur (she/her), Posit PBC - Amsterdam

  
  

  Valerie Bucur is a software engineer at Posit PBC working on the Package Manager team. She’s been with the team 3.5 years and in the software engineering industry for over 15 years. Her area of focus is package security and auditing. She also has previous experience with administration, DevOps, and infrastructure management.

  
  

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• SSA and NZSA Mentoring Program Professional Skills Webinar Series. Webinar 3: Robust reproducible research

  • When
    18 Jun 2026
  •  
    12:00 PM
  • Location
    Online via Zoom

  Register

  Join us for the SSA Mentoring Program Professional Skills Webinar Series, which in 2026 will be co-delivered with the NZSA Mentor Programme. This online professional development series is invaluable to statisticians who are looking to improve and enhance their skills in communication, time and project management. 

  
  

  Webinar 3: 

  Robust Reproducible Research

  Presenter: Dr Simon Tuke, University of Adelaide

  Date and Time: Thursday 18th June 2026, 12pm AEST

  
  

  Abstract

  “You did an analysis for me two years ago, well I have some new data to add to it”. Welcome to the world of statistical consulting. So how do we get from WTF to no hassle? In this webinar, we will look at some of the tools of the trade to ensure that the analysis you do today will make sense to future you. Topics covered with be project structure; version control; using quarto; and leaving breadcrumbs. Come along and see if there is anything that the presenter does, that you could steal. 

  
  

  Presenter's Bio - Dr Simon Tuke

  
  

  Dr Tuke started his career as a veterinarian. After 12 years, he headed back to university to study maths and ended up with a PhD in statistics. He now lectures in statistics at the University of Adelaide and strongly believes that everyone should know stats.

  
  

  Webinars:

  • Webinar 1: Thursday 23rd April 2026 12pm AEST. Building a team, one person at a time - A/Prof David Price, Doherty Institute
  • Webinar 2: Thursday 7th May 2026 11am AEST. Effective networking as a statistician - Prof Kelley M Kidwell, University of Michigan

  • Webinar 3: Thursday 18th June 2026 12pm AEST. Robust reproducible research - Dr Simon Tuke, University of Adelaide

  • Webinar 4: Thursday 30th July 2026 12pm AEST. Unlock your Mentoring Potential -  Lisa Thomasen, Fonterra, New Zealand

  
  

  Fees:

  • Mentoring program participants – Free (both SSA and NZSA) Registration code required
  • Non SSA/NZSA Members – $60.00 
  • SSA/NZSA Members – $30.00 

  
  

  Cancellation Policy:

  Cancellations received prior to two weeks before the event will be refunded, minus the Stripe processing fee (1.75% + $0.30 per transaction) and an SSA administration fee of $20.

  From then on, no part of the registration fee will be refunded. However, registrations are transferable within the same organisation. Please advise any changes to events@statsoc.org.au.  

  Show details
• ICOTS -12th International Conference on Teaching Statistics

  • Start
    12 Jul 2026
  •  
  • End
    17 Jul 2026
  •  
  • Location
    Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC)

  The 12th International Conference on Teaching Statistics (ICOTS 12), to be held in Brisbane, 12–17 July 2026, will be the first time ICOTS will be hosted in Australia.

  We are delighted to announce the ICOTS 12 keynote speakers:

  • Prof Mine Çetinkaya–Rundel – Duke University

  • Prof Dianne Cook – Monash University

  • Emeritus Prof Sir Peter Donnelly – Genomics PLC, University of Oxford

  • Prof Rob Gould – UCLA

  • Dr Elena Proden – UNITAR

  These outstanding speakers will bring a wealth of expertise and perspectives to ICOTS 12, setting the stage for an inspiring and thought-provoking program.

  Key dates:

  • Abstract submission deadline: 31 August 2025

  • Notification of acceptance: 30 September 2025

  • Optional refereed paper submission deadline: 30 November 2025

  • Final papers (refereed and non-refereed) due: 30 April 2026

  All accepted abstracts will appear in the official Conference Program and online Proceedings. Oral presenters are encouraged (but not required) to prepare a full paper for the Proceedings. Refereed papers will be clearly labelled as such.

  For more information, please visit: https://icots12.oa-event.com

  We look forward to welcoming you to Brisbane in 2026 for this landmark event in statistics education!

  
  

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• SSA and NZSA Mentoring Program Professional Skills Webinar Series. Webinar 4: Unlock your Mentoring Potential

  • When
    30 Jul 2026
  •  
    12:00 PM
  • Location
    Online via Zoom

  Register

  Join us for the SSA Mentoring Program Professional Skills Webinar Series, which in 2026 will be co-delivered with the NZSA Mentor Programme. This online professional development series is invaluable to statisticians who are looking to improve and enhance their skills in communication, time and project management. 

  
  

  Webinar 4: 

  Unlock your Mentoring Potential

  Presenter: Lisa Thomasen, Fonterra, New Zealand

  Date and Time: Thursday 30th July 2026, 12pm AEST

  
  

  Abstract

  Mentoring can be a gamechanger for many individuals, with participants from both the SSA and NZSA Mentoring Programs sharing the benefits they’ve experienced. Every mentoring relationship is unique, with experiences varying widely. This session will explore some of the key differences between mentoring relationships with a focus on formality, longevity and preparation including tips on how to customise your mentoring relationship to make mentoring work for you. 

  
  

  Presenter's Bio - Lisa Thomasen

  

  Lisa Thomasen has been a consultant statistician in industry for the past decade and is currently lead research statistician at Fonterra in New Zealand. Her work includes modelling milk powder functionality, analysing cheesecake performance, and investigating consumer preferences of yoghurts. Lisa co-ordinates the New Zealand Statistical Association (NZSA) mentoring program and was the 2024 recipient of the NZSA Campbell Award for her advocacy for students, early-career, and professional statisticians alongside her mentoring and community-building initiatives in this space.

  
  

  Webinars:

  • Webinar 1: Thursday 23rd April 2026 12pm AEST. Building a team, one person at a time - A/Prof David Price, Doherty Institute
  • Webinar 2: Thursday 7th May 2026 11am AEST. Effective networking as a statistician - Prof Kelley M Kidwell, University of Michigan

  • Webinar 3: Thursday 18th June 2026 12pm AEST. Robust reproducible research - Dr Simon Tuke, University of Adelaide

  • Webinar 4: Thursday 30th July 2026 12pm AEST. Unlock your Mentoring Potential -  Lisa Thomasen, Fonterra, New Zealand

  
  

  Fees:

  • Mentoring program participants – Free (both SSA and NZSA) Registration code required
  • Non SSA/NZSA Members – $60.00 
  • SSA/NZSA Members – $30.00 

  
  

  Cancellation Policy:

  Cancellations received prior to two weeks before the event will be refunded, minus the Stripe processing fee (1.75% + $0.30 per transaction) and an SSA administration fee of $20.

  From then on, no part of the registration fee will be refunded. However, registrations are transferable within the same organisation. Please advise any changes to events@statsoc.org.au.  

  Show details