Here’s the latest news and updates from CNSTAT and around the statistical community for the month of October.
People in the News
CNSTAT welcomes
Five new members to CNSTAT
- Roee Gutman, professor of biostatistics at the Brown University School of Public Health with extensive experience in developing statistical methods to evaluate the effectiveness of health policies and medical interventions. He has a B.S. in statistics, operations research, and computer science and an M.S. in statistics from Tel-Aviv University and a Ph.D. in statistics from Harvard University.
- Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs at Syracuse University, with extensive expertise in analyzing the correlates and consequences of food insecurity, poverty, and social policy. She has a B.A. in social sciences, an M.A. in public policy, and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan.
- Lloyd B. Potter, state demographer of Texas, in which capacity he directs the Texas Demographic Center at University of Texas at San Antonio, where he is also professor of demography. He has a B.S. in sociology from Texas A&M University, an M.S. in education from the University of Houston at Clear Lake, an M.P.H. from Emory University, and a Ph.D. in demography and sociology from the University of Texas at Austin.
- Florencia Torche, Edwards S. Sanford professor of international affairs and sociology at Princeton University, whose research has focused on social inequality and mobility, educational disparities, and marriage and family dynamics, and recently on the influence of early-life exposures and circumstances—starting before birth—on individual health, development, and well-being. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and has a Ph.D. in sociology from Columbia University.
- Salil Vadhan, Vicky Joseph professor of computer science and applied mathematics in the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, whose research in theoretical computer science spans computational complexity, cryptography, and data privacy and whose recent work is focused on bringing differential privacy to practice. He has a has a Ph.D. in applied mathematics from MIT.
CNSTAT congratulates
Katharine Abraham, AEA President-Elect
Katharine Abraham, chair of CNSTAT, member of the National Academy of Sciences, and distinguished university professor of economics and survey methodology at the University of Maryland, College Park, was elected president of the American Economic Association for 2025. She previously served on the Council of Economic Advisers, as commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as a member of CNSTAT, and as chair and member of numerous CNSTAT study panels. She has a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University and a B.S. in economics from Iowa State University. Read more about all the recently elected candidates.
CNSTAT congratulates
Sallie Keller Receives the 2024 Links Lecture Award
Sallie Keller, chief scientist and associate director for research and methodology at the U.S. Census Bureau and distinguished professor in biocomplexity at the University of Virginia, will give the 2024 Links Lecture virtually on October 30, 2024, at noon (see Events). Her topic is “Starting with the End in Mind: A Statistical Product First Approach.” Dr. Keller is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an elected member of the International Statistical Institute, a fellow and past president of the American Statistical Association (ASA), and a past member of CNSTAT. Emilda Rivers, director of the NSF National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, will be the discussant.
ASA created the Links Lecture Award in 2017 to honor the significant contributions of three pioneers who advanced the U.S. federal statistical system’s ability to meet the nation’s data needs—Constance Citro, Robert Groves, and Fritz Scheuren.
New Releases
Toward a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure: Managing Privacy and Confidentiality Risks with Blended Data
Protecting privacy and ensuring confidentiality in data is a critical component of modernizing our national data infrastructure. The use of blended data – combining previously collected data sources – presents new considerations for responsible data stewardship. This report provides a framework for managing disclosure risks that accounts for the unique attributes of blended data and poses a series of questions to guide considered decision-making.
Download Here
All of our reports can be downloaded for free from the National Academies Press.
New Interactive Resources
Measuring Law Enforcement Suicide: Challenges and Opportunities
Strengthening the Nation’s Data Infrastructure
An Updated Measure of Poverty: (Re)Drawing the Line.
Visit our website to keep up to date on CNSTAT’s activities and learn more about our projects.
Other News
The Fundamental Responsibilities of Statistical Agencies and Units rule, known as the “Trust Regulation,” was published in the Federal Register on Friday, October 11, 2024. The Office of Management and Budget developed the rule as required by the Foundations of Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018. The rule explains the fundamental responsibilities of statistical agencies and units and specifies how their parent agencies need to support the statistical agencies in their mission to produce relevant, accurate, objective statistics for policy and the public with protections for privacy and confidentiality. The “Trust Regulation” is intended to strengthen the federal statistical system and build trust with stakeholders and data users and providers. Read more from OMB’s Chief Statistician