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Welcome to this edition of SSA eNews

With ASC 2025 in Perth now just two weeks away, excitement is truly building across our community. This issue is packed with conference updates, opportunities to connect, and news from across the SSA that highlight the breadth and strength of our profession.

We are pleased to bring you the full ASC2025 program, details on our pre-conference workshops, and a reminder that you can now pre-order your conference T-shirt. This edition also features a special invitation to the inaugural Henstridge-Praeger Public Lecture and the announcement of our ASC 2025 Horizon Lecturer.

You will also find important Society updates—including the upcoming membership fee adjustment, recent award announcements, upcoming branch lectures, and opportunities to contribute to national research infrastructure consultations. Under Statistical Discoveries, we share two thought-provoking articles exploring the future of biocomputing and the power of data for social good.

As always, our members remain at the heart of our activities. We encourage you to share your news, follow our LinkedIn page, and stay connected through the SSA Career Centre and upcoming events.

Thank you for being part of the SSA community. We hope you enjoy this edition and look forward to seeing many of you in Perth very soon.

ASC 2025 – Just Two Weeks to Go!

The countdown is on for ASC2025 in Perth. The full program is now available, offering an inspiring week of keynote presentations, contributed talks, panel discussions and opportunities to connect. This year’s theme — Advance, Support, Connect — reflects our shared commitment to strengthening the future of statistics and data science in Australia. The program highlights cutting-edge research, practical applications and conversations that span academia, industry and government. With sessions designed for every career stage, it’s an excellent opportunity to deepen your knowledge and broaden your professional network. Take a moment to explore what’s ahead and start planning your conference experience.

Register for Pre-Conference Workshops

Pre-Order Your ASC2025 T-Shirt

Inaugural Henstridge-Praeger Public Lecture

We are delighted to invite you to the inaugural Henstridge-Praeger Public Lecture entitled “Trust in Statistics is crucial for the wellbeing of societies but it has to be earned”,  to be delivered by Mr Dennis Trewin AO FASSA on

Thursday, 4 December at 12:00pm AWST

(2:00pm AEST | 2:30pm ACST | 3:00pm AEDT).

This keynote event is open to the public and will be available both in person and via livestream for the wider community.

• In-person venue: Hayden Williams Lecture Theatre (405.201), Curtin University

• Online attendance: Registration is essential -  please follow the link below to register

The Henstridge-Praeger Public Lecture is a new initiative supported by a major philanthropic gift to the statistics and mathematics communities in Australia, made by distinguished leaders Professor Cheryl Praeger AC and Dr John Henstridge.  Through their generosity, a public lecture to promote the use of statistics for the benefit of the community will now be given at Australian Statistical Conference in perpetuity.  Given his profound and sustained contribution to the statistical communities in Australia and globally, it is most fitting that Dennis Trewin will be the first person to deliver Henstridge-Praeger Public Lecture.

Cheryl and John have a deep commitment to breaking down barriers and opening doors for diverse voices in mathematics and statistics. The majority of income from Cheryl and John’s gift will fund the Praeger-Henstridge Awards and Prizes, also established in 2025. The perpetual awards are designed to encourage greater participation from women and young people in statistics and mathematics, and will create a lasting positive impact for our disciplines.

Learn more about the Praeger-Henstridge fund 

Announcing the ASC 2025 Horizon Lecturer

We are delighted to announce that Associate Professor Damjan Vukcevic will deliver the ASC 2025 Horizon Lecture at this year’s Australian Statistical Conference in Perth. The Horizon Lecture recognises innovative contributions to statistical thinking and practice, and we are pleased to feature Damjan’s work at the forefront of modern statistical inference.

You may peek at your data

Abstract

Data dredging, data snooping, p-hacking. These familiar terms remind us how easily statistical inference can be misused. The pursuit of “statistical significance” can lead to inappropriate multiple testing and selective reporting. One safeguard is to follow a strict pre-specified analysis plan, waiting until all data are collected. A more flexible alternative are methods that allow interim analyses. Taking this idea to the extreme are methods that allow you to “peek” at your data any time at all, or even to decide to collect more.

Such methods trace back to Wald’s sequential probability ratio test and fall under the broader umbrella of sequential analysis. Though rarely covered in standard curricula or applied routinely in practice, they are attracting renewed attention as tools for “safer” statistical inference. Damian will outline recent developments in this area and demonstrate how we have used these tools to construct methods to verify the outcomes of preferential elections through efficient post-election audits. This application poses a high-dimensional inference problem, which we can now address in a “stop-whenever-you-like” manner.

About the Lecturer

Damjan Vukcevic is an Associate Professor at Monash University, where he is also the Director of Engagement at the Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics.

His career spans both academia and industry, and several application areas including genomics, respiratory health, astrophysics, web analytics and election auditing. He completed his DPhil at the University of Oxford, where he was part of the team that conducted the first large-scale genome-wide association study, in 2007, which heralded the start of a “genomic revolution” in the decade that followed. Two common themes to Damjan's contributions across the various areas include the use and harmonisation of frequentist and Bayesian approaches, and a commitment to creating useable software and reproducible analyses. Damjan has contributed substantially to the Statistical Society of Australia, now serving as its Treasurer, and previously having served as the President and other roles in the Victorian Branch (now the Victorian & Tasmanian Branch).

Membership Fee Update – Effective 11 December 2025

As part of our regular review process, the Statistical Society of Australia will implement a modest adjustment to membership and related fees from 11 December 2025. Membership fees were last reviewed in 2023, with no changes made in 2024. Since then, inflation has risen by over 4%, and the costs associated with delivering member services, publications, accreditation activities and advocacy have continued to increase.

To ensure the Society remains financially sustainable and able to provide high-quality programs, support and professional recognition, a small number of fees will be updated across member categories, accreditation services and course accreditation. On average, these adjustments sit below cumulative inflation since the last review.

These changes help ensure the Society can continue to provide meaningful opportunities for professional development, community building and advocacy for the statistical and data science community.

We appreciate the ongoing support of our members as we continue to invest in the strength and visibility of the profession. Your membership enables the SSA to deliver valuable programs, foster professional growth and maintain a strong national voice for statistics and data science.

Congratulations to the 2025 Dennis Trewin Prize Winners

SSA ACT is delighted to announce the winners of the 2025 Dennis Trewin Prize.
Mr Jiazhen Xu has been awarded first place for his presentation titled:

• “Quantifying Periodic Patterns in Random Objects” (Jiazhen Xu)

Mr Mu Li and Mr George McNamara were jointly awarded runner-up positions for their presentations titled:

• “Tracking Disadvantage Over Time: A Longitudinal Socio-Economic Index (LIRSD) for Australia, 2006–2021” (Mu Li)

• “From Text to Insight: A Machine-Learning-Based Natural Language Processing Tool for Population-Level Clinical Free-Text Analysis at Scale” (George McNamara)

The Dennis Trewin Prize, named after the former Australian Statistician, is awarded annually for outstanding early-career research in an area related to statistics and/or data science conducted within the ACT or regional NSW outside the Newcastle–Sydney–Wollongong region. The three applicants presented their research in front of a live audience and a selection panel. Each presentation was highly engaging, showcased innovative research approaches, and sparked lively discussion and insightful questions from both the judges and the audience.

SSA ACT thanks all participants for sharing their research, Dennis and the judges for their careful deliberations, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for their continued sponsorship of the Prize.

Zhi Yang Tho
On behalf of the SSA ACT Branch Council

Power down your devices — the next generation of computers may think like us. In this article, David Adam explores how scientists are growing networks of human brain cells, known as biocomputers, to process information with incredible efficiency. These living systems can already perform simple tasks and learn patterns while using only a fraction of the energy of silicon chips. The research raises both excitement and ethical questions about the future of machines that might one day think biologically.

Big data is often associated with business, but this article highlights how it can also drive meaningful social impact. Soltani Panah and McCosker showcase five projects using data ethically to address real challenges—from mapping humanitarian need and improving fire safety to tracking police violence and identifying unsafe public spaces. Together, they illustrate the potential of data science to build more responsive, connected and caring communities.

E. A. Cornish Memorial Lecture

The SSA South Australian Branch proudly presents the E.A. Cornish Memorial Lecture, part of the National Speaker Series, featuring Professor Martin Hazelton from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Otago (New Zealand).

Date: 17 Nov 2025 

Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Location: University of Adelaide North Tce Campus, Union House Function Room 2/Online

Knibbs Lecture 2025 

Date: 20 Nov 2025 

Time: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM 

Location: Hybrid-CBE Lecture Theatre 1, ANU College of Business & Economics, Building 26C, The Australian National University (ANU Building 26C)

OceaniaR Hackathon 2025 

Date: 23 Nov 2025 

Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM 

Location: In-person only-The Australian National University. The Sciences Teaching Building, Building Number 136, 136 Linnaeus Way, Acton ACT 2601 

ICOTS 12 – Updated website, now Live!

The Statistical Society of Australia is thrilled to share exciting updates for the 12th International Conference on Teaching Statistics (ICOTS 12), to be held in Brisbane, 12–17 July 2026 — the first time ICOTS will be hosted in Australia.

We’re excited to announce the launch of the updated ICOTS 12 website, now live with program information and submission details.

Visit : ICOTS 12 Website  or scan the new QR code below:

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.

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

Request for Member Feedback: NRI Roadmap and ANAO Review of NCRIS

SSA will be preparing submissions in response to two important national consultations: the 2026 National Research Infrastructure (NRI) Roadmap Issues Paper and the ANAO review of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). Members are warmly invited to contribute.

You may respond directly to each consultation or email comments to president@statsoc.org.au for consideration in the Society’s submissions.

Nominations are now open for the Rousseeuw Prize for Statistics 2026, a major international award recognising groundbreaking statistical innovations with wide real-world impact. Awarded biennially by the King Baudouin Foundation, the prize celebrates contributions across fields such as data science, physical sciences, industry, economics and the humanities. The 2026 prize welcomes nominations for influential methodological innovations and their key contributors (no self-nominations).  Nominations close 28 February 2026 and must be submitted via the official website: www.rousseeuwprize.org.

Statistical Consulting Network Monthly Meet-Up

Last Friday of the month, 12-1 PM AEST. 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 can help each other out with challenging problems or just discuss topical issues.

This virtual meeting is held on Zoom at lunchtime on the last Friday of each month, 12-1 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

Your work. Your voice. Your community.

From research breakthroughs to innovative applications of data science, our members are shaping the world through statistics and we want to celebrate it!

SSA e-News is your platform to share insights, achievements, and experiences that inspire others across our community. Whether you’ve published, presented, or simply discovered something worth sharing, we’d love to hear from you.

Share your story and let’s celebrate the people behind the numbers!

Stay Connected – Follow SSA’s Official LinkedIn Page!

We’re excited to invite you to follow the official Statistical Society of Australia (SSA) LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/statsocaus/

By following us, you’ll gain access to:

• Regular updates on SSA events and conferences
• The latest industry news and trends
• Exclusive career opportunities and professional development resources
• Member highlights and community insights

Stay informed, connect with fellow statisticians and data professionals, and be part of the growing SSA network. Follow us today!

The SSA Career Centre is your go-to platform for connecting statisticians and data scientists with prospective employers.

For Employers:
Advertise job openings to a highly targeted audience of statisticians and data professionals. Once registered, employers can:

• Post and manage job advertisements.
• Search for and manage prospective candidates.
• Create a detailed company profile to enhance visibility.

Advertising fees start at just $130, providing an affordable way to reach top talent.

For Job Seekers:
Boost your career with tools designed to help you stand out:

• Post your résumé anonymously for potential employers to view.
• Set up personalised job alerts to be notified when roles matching your criteria are advertised.
• Take advantage of our free résumé review service to refine your profile before uploading it.

Whether you’re hiring or seeking, the SSA Career Centre makes connecting easy and efficient. Register today to get started!

Whether you’re looking to sponsor an event, support a conference, or explore a long-term partnership, we’re excited to work with you. Collaborate with the Statistical Society of Australia to connect with our vibrant community of statisticians and data professionals.

Reach out to Michelle Wightwick , events officer at events@statsoc.org.au to start the conversation and explore possibilities.