The Statistical Society of Australia's branches have come together to launch the National Branch Lecture Series, bringing you insightful talks from experts across the country. Each month, a different branch will host a webinar, showcasing diverse topics in statistics and data science. We’re excited to invite you to this month’s session, hosted by the Vic & Tas Branch.
The Victoria and Tasmania branch of the Statistical Society of Australia warmly invites all members of the public to attend our special edition "Spooky Stats" Tasmania Statistics event on Friday, 31st October 2025, from 11:30am–12:30pm.
Who: Open to the public
What: "Spooky Stats" Tasmania Statistics Session (part of SSA National Speaker Series)
When: Friday, 31st October, 11:30am–12:30pm (with lunch at Jack Greene to follow)
Where: CSIRO Hobart
How/Cost: Free!
The local speakers will be talking about some of the exciting—and also "spooky"—fun parts of statistics, with each speaker giving a short 10–15 minute talk, followed by networking at Jack Greene. This is a unique opportunity to connect with peers and professionals in a relaxed setting.
This event is generously sponsored by CSIRO Hobart.
Abstract and final room details to follow soon
Presenters:
Jo Potts - joanne@theanalyticaledge.com
Joanne, an ecological statistician based in southern Tasmania, is the director of The Analytical Edge Pty Ltd., a statistical consulting firm she has led since 2012. An Accredited Statistician with the [Statistical Society of Australia](https://www.statsoc.org.au), Joanne brings a wealth of expertise in survey design and data analysis across a broad spectrum of applications. Her extensive project portfolio includes:
- conducting impact assessments and estimating abundance and distribution of invasive, rare and commercially harvested species, including [fallow deer](https://www.publish.csiro.au/WR/WR13206), [Patagonian toothfish](https://hal.science/hal-03331843/) and abalone
- developing [species distribution](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aec.13221) and population demographic models
- creating models of pest and disease spread to assess biosecurity risks in [agricultural settings](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ddi.12065).
Joanne has successfully delivered many nationally and internationally funded projects to state and federal government agencies, NGOs, private industry and academic researchers. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne (2003) and a PhD in Applied Statistics from the University of St Andrews, Scotland (2011).
Russell Thomson - russell@theanalyticaledge.com
Russell Thomson is an Accredited Statistician with the Statistical Society of Australia. He completed a PhD at Monash University and postdoctoral positions at the University of California - Berkeley and Stanford University. Russell has experience in applying statistics to a very wide range of fields, including epidemiology, bioinformatics and environmental sciences. He has worked at many universities and institutes, including the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Science, the Menzies Institute for Medical Research and the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Science. At Western Sydney University, Russell helped higher degree research students across every discipline. He has a publication list that reflects this. (Google Scholar Profile: (https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=YDrFwf8AAAAJ&hl=en)).
Tyler Rohr - tyler.rohr@utas.edu.au
Tyler is an ARC DECRA Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Biogeochemical Modelling at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Science. He is broadly interested in the marine carbon cycle and its interactions with global climate. Tyler's work spans a variety of topics across marine biogeochemistry, physical oceanography, Earth system modelling, and policy to unravel the connections between the ocean, our climate, and ultimately how society might wish to grapple with, or even augment, the powerful feedbacks between the two.
@StatSocAus
