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STATS MATTERS & EVENTS

15 August 2024                                               

Dear {Contact_First_Name},                                    

2024 SSA President’s Award announced

During his tenure as SSA President, Prof Adrian Barnett established the President’s Award for Leadership in Statistics. The intention of the award is to recognise an individual or team who has made an outstanding contribution to leadership in statistics, and each President may award one of these during their tenure.

The 2024 SSA President’s Award was announced at the SSA AGM, on 13 August 2024; as my final act as President, I am awarding it to Daniela Vasco.

Daniela is the Chair of the Early Career and Student Statistician Network (ECSSN).  In her time in the role, she has built on the previous development of the ECSSN, and led the Network so that it is now a thriving success with a large number of engaged members.

The ECSSN has many webinars each year, with registrations consistently between about 50 and 150; these are organised jointly with the equivalent group in NZSA.  Working together in this way is, in itself, a strategic and productive collaboration.

During her time as Chair a very successful Early Career and Student Statistician Conference was held in Perth, in late 2022, which had excellent numbers and opportunities for networking among members.

At the end of this year, another such Conference is being held across three hubs: Perth, Hobart and Christchurch (NZ).  This has already generated considerable interest.

Recently the ECSSN and the History Standing Committee have started a project on interviewing older statisticians, a creative and welcome collaboration.

Daniela has carried out her role in an unassuming and gracious way, and has managed it at the same time as becoming a mother and dealing with the joys and challenges of early parenting.

I recognise, and I am sure Daniela would say, that she has had very good support from others, especially for the Conferences.  The SSA is grateful to all who have contributed to the resounding success of the ECSSN, and we hope that it can be sustained and developed further.

It is with much pleasure that I award my President’s Award to Daniela Vasco.

Ian Gordon
SSA President, 2022-2024


Thank you to everyone who has already taken the time to complete the short SSA survey. For those who haven’t yet had the chance to participate, you have till the end of today to share your thoughts. 

Your feedback is invaluable and greatly appreciated!

Take the Survey - closes today, 15 August

SSA Annual General Meeting with Guest Speaker Presentation by Lynne Giles 

27 August 2024 | 5:30pm | Online

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Statistical Society of Australia will be held online on Tuesday, 27 August at 5:30pm AEST followed by a presentation with guest speaker, Lynne Giles

While all members are invited, only financial members are eligible to vote. The quorum for the meeting is 20 voting members attending online or by proxy. All documents for the meeting including agenda and the proxy form will be made available in the following weeks.

Program:

5:30PM   Welcome

5:35PM   AGM Formalities & Announcements

6:00PM   Guest Speaker Presentation by Lynne Giles

6:20PM   Q & A

6:30PM   Close

We hope to see you there! 

For more information & registration

SSA Early Career & Student Statistician Conference 

18 - 21 November 2024 | Perth | Hobart | Christchurch

Registration is now open!


We are excited to announce that registration is open for the ECSSC 2024! This event is a fantastic opportunity for students, early career statisticians, and established professionals to come together for mentorship, networking, and the exchange of innovative statistical ideas.


Conference Highlights


Keynote presentations 

Networking

Workshop and panel discussions

Opportunities for presenting your own research


Early Bird registration close 14 Sep 2024

Registrations close 10 Nov 2024


Register now and secure your spot!

Perth Hub 

Hobart Hub 

Christchurch Hub 

If you intend on attending online, click any of the hubs to register.

We are especially dedicated to supporting students and early career statisticians by fostering a supportive environment where they can connect with mentors, share ideas, and receive guidance on their professional development. This is your chance to build valuable connections and gain insights that will help shape your future in statistics.

We look forward to seeing you at the conference!

Conference website

Partner with SSA

Interested to partner with us from a simple event sponsorship, conferences to long-term collaboration, please reach out to Jodi Phillips at events@statsoc.org.au .

SSA Events

SSA Vic & Tas August 2024 Event- Causal machine learning in health research by Daisy Shepherd

20 Aug 2024 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM AEST | RMIT City campus, Building 15, Level 3, Room 10 OR Auditorium CSIRO, 3-4 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Hobart OR online via Teams

Causal inference is a central goal of health research, where we are interested in understanding the impact of a treatment, policy or other exposures on patient outcomes and population health. For many years, randomised trials were considered the only avenue to undertake causal inference, although recent decades have seen a rise in using observational (non-randomised) data to answer causal questions. However, the need for appropriate design and analytic methods to allow for causal inference from observational data is imperative, particularly in the current era of data deluge, with many developments in this area, including the use of machine learning.

This talk will first provide an overview of some of the fundamental principles of causal inference, before describing the role of machine learning in this space and touch on some ongoing areas of research in this field.

Register

ECSSN and NZSA Joint Webinar: Setting up a reproducible data analysis project in R – featuring Github, renv, targets and more

20 Aug 2024 | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (AEST) | Online

This talk is a follow up to last year’s presentation by  Olivia Angelin-Bonnet on the relevance of software engineering best practices in statistics and data science. Here, Olivia will go through how to setup a new data analysis project in R, following some of these best practices to ensure reproducibility and reusability. In particular, Olivia will demonstrate how to use GitHub to version control the code, and how to organise a typical analysis directory. Olivia will showcase some very useful R packages, such as renv to document  computational environment and targets to turn scripts into a reproducible analytical pipeline.

Register

SSA NSW August 22 – Gianni La Cava - Joint event with Royal Statistical Society’s section on Finance and Economics and The University of Sydney Business School - Sydney Uni 

22 Aug 2024 | 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (AEST) | Room 5040, Level 5, Business School Abercrombie Building, The University of Sydney

We are happy to announce a joint event with Royal Statistical Society's section on Finance and Economics and The University of Sydney Business School with a seminar by Gianni La Cava, Research Director at the e61 Institute.

Gianni La Cava will present: The Effects of Monetary Policy on Consumer Spending: Insights from Australian Bank Transaction Data

We hope to see you there.

For more information

Personal Journey of Brian Phillips: A Webinar by Early Career & Student Statisticians Network and History Standing Committee of SSA

27 Aug 2024 | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (AEST) | Online

This is the first in the series of webinars that focus on the personal journey of older Australian statisticians that have made a difference. 


What to Expect:

  • Interview Session: Conducted by Dennis Trewin, former SSA President and History Committee member, Brian will reflect on his path from secondary school mathematics teacher to Associate Professor at Swinburne University. His journey is unique, transitioning into Applied Statistics and shaping graduate programs in statistics education.

  • Q & A Session: Following the interview, engage directly with Brian. Pose questions that delve deeper into Brian's experiences and gain insights relevant to your own career aspirations.

Why Attend?

  • Learn from Experience: Brian's unconventional career path offers invaluable lessons for aspiring statisticians and educators.

  • Contribute to History: This webinar will be recorded, with a transcript prepared to support the History Standing Committee's efforts in documenting the evolution of statistics education in Australia.

Who Should Attend?

  • Early career statisticians
  • Students aspiring in statistics and related fields
  • Anyone interested in the history and development of statistics education


Registration is free but required to secure your spot.

Register

Statistical Consulting Network Monthly Meet-Up


30 Aug 2024 | 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM AEST | Online


Come along with your thinking cap, maybe a problem, and some lunch!

The Statistical Consulting Network invites you to their monthly 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 Friday of each month, 12:30-1:30 PM (AEST). We start each meet-up with announcements, or occasionally a special topic discussion, then discuss problems that attendees have brought along with them.

We also have 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.

Zoom link

Password: 660145

Slack Workspace link 

Harnessing the Power of Predictive Analytics for Statisticians Presented by Our Sponsorship Partner Minitab

3 Sep 2024 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Online 

Join Minitab for an illuminating webinar that delves deep into the statistical foundations of machine learning and showcases real-world case studies in predictive analytics. Explore the intricate world of data-driven insights and decision-making excellence through a statistical lens.

Throughout this session, Minitab will unravel the statistical essence of predictive analytics algorithms, emphasizing their practical applications and significance in the realm of machine learning. Witness how these algorithms leverage statistical principles to transform complex data into actionable predictions, enabling you to anticipate trends and make informed decisions.

Engage with captivating case studies and demonstrations featuring sample datasets that demonstrate the transformative power of statistical machine learning for example how statistical analysis can be used to predict solar energy output and prevent maintenance in industrial machinery. Gain a firsthand understanding of how statistical techniques drive the predictive capabilities of machine learning algorithms.

Additionally, we will highlight the seamless integration of statistical methodologies within the predictive analytics workflow, emphasizing the critical role of statistical thinking in maximizing analytical capabilities and unlocking the true potential of data. Register now to redefine research and development through statistical insights and perspectives.

Register

Other News & Events

Nationwide search for next Superstars of STEM

An Australia-wide search is on for the next stellar Superstars of STEM – the game-changing program that powerfully advances gender equity by turning a diverse group of scientists and technologists into highly visible media stars.

Since 2017 Superstars of STEM has created 210 science, technology, engineering and mathematics media stars. It is open to women and non-binary STEM professionals. The program is run by Science & Technology Australia, funded by the Australian Government, and supported by partner organisations Google and the Department of Defence

Since 2017 Superstars of STEM has created 210 science, technology, engineering and mathematics media stars. It is open to women and non-binary STEM professionals. The program is run by Science & Technology Australia, funded by the Australian Government, and supported by partner organisations Google and the Department of Defence

Science & Technology Australia Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Superstars of STEM Program Manager Sandra Gardam said the program is fundamentally changing public perceptions of what a scientist looks like.

For more information

Women in STEM Careers and Entrepreneurship Masterclass

21 – 23 Oct 2024 (AEDT) | Level 9, Paramatta City Campus, Western Sydney University

Unlock your potential at the upcoming Women in STEM Careers and Entrepreneurship Masterclass, hosted by the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute and Western Sydney University. This exclusive event will take place from 21 - 23 October at the Parramatta City Campus, Western Sydney University.

Designed for women STEM researchers, this masterclass offers a unique opportunity to delve into Australia’s research commercialisation and innovation ecosystem. Gain insights directly from industry and university experts in research innovation, and hear success stories from researchers who have transitioned into leading roles in startups or R&D teams.

Who should attend?

If you are a STEM research student or an early to mid-career researcher, this masterclass is tailored for you. We especially encourage those who have participated in an APR Internship, funded by APR’s WISE program, to take advantage of available sponsorships covering accommodation and travel expenses.

Event Details

  • Time and Date: 9am - 5pm AEDT, 21 - 23 October 2024.
  • Location: Level 9, Paramatta City Campus, Western Sydney University.
  • Cost: $130 GA, Free for APR.Intern WiSE subsidy recipients.

Join us at the forefront of STEM innovation and entrepreneurship.

We look forward to welcoming you to Sydney this October!

For Information

Save the Date 2024 ADSN Conference

We are excited to announce that this year’s ADSN Conference will be in Perth.  The host organisation for the conference is the Curtin Institute for Data Science.

This year’s conference will be extended to three days, with the third day being industry-focused. It will also include a visit to the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre.

  • When:  Mon-Wed, 2-4 December
  • Where: Curtin University, Bentley Campus 

Abstract Submissions and Registrations will open soon!

The International Environmetrics Society (TIES) Conference 2024

2 – 5 Dec 2024 | Adelaide

The International Environmetrics Society (TIES) is a non-profit organization aimed to foster the development and use of statistical and other quantitative methods in the environmental sciences, environmental engineering and environmental monitoring and protection. To this end, the Society promotes the participation of statisticians, mathematicians, scientists and engineers in the solution of environmental problems and emphasizes the need for collaboration and for clear communication between individuals from different disciplines and between researchers and practitioners.

All contributions related to environmetrics are welcome from across academia, research institutes, government, business and industry.

Key Dates:

Deadline for Invited Paper Sessions 15th July 2024
Deadline for Contributed Papers  15th Aug 2024
Invited paper contributors informed of outcome 31st July 2024
Contributed paper authors informed of outcome 9th Sept 2024
   
Registration opens 15th July 2024
Deadline for early registration 23rd Sept 2024

For questions contact: John Boland john.boland@unisa.edu.au

For Information

JSM 2025 is now open to invited proposal submission

The theme for JSM 2025 is “Statistics, Data Science, and AI Enriching Society,” but not all sessions have to adhere to this theme. Formats vary for invited sessions; however, all are 110 minutes in length and have a session chair. The sessions typically include 2–6 participants, including the chair, with two of the most popular and successful formats being 2–3 speakers with a discussant or a panel discussion of 3–5 panelists. 

To get session information into the early planning stages for JSM 2025, all session proposals must be submitted online. The submission site will be open through September 5, 2024 (11:59 p.m. ET).

In order to submit a proposal, organizers will need the following information:

  1. Session Type (Invited Paper or Invited Panel)
  2. Sponsor (JSM partner society/ASA section or committee, Memorial, etc.). A pre-approved list is provided; select no more than three.
  3. Session Title
  4. Session Description (provide a short description, including focus, content, timeliness, appeal, and format)
  5. Session organizer, including affiliation and email address
  6. Session chair, including affiliation and email address
  7. Session speakers and any discussants, including affiliations and email addresses

SSA Career Centre

Employers can advertise job openings for statisticians and data analysts, while job seekers can post their own resume for potential employers to view – anonymously.

Members can register with the Career Centre, setting job alerts to be notified if a job meeting their search criteria is advertised. There's also the option of having one’s resume reviewed at no cost before uploading it, where it can be seen by potential employers.

Once registered with the SSA Career Centre as an employer, the site will allow users to post and manage job openings, search and manage prospective job candidates, and create a company profile. The fees for ads start at $130.

View All Jobs

The SSA team would love to hear from you!

If you have any feedback or news from the Australian statistical community to share in Stats Matters and Events, please get in touch with us!