An open letter to my fellow statisticians:
The following is the opinion of the author
I am a statistician. I have been a student of statistics for over twenty years, and I have been a practicing statistician for the last fifteen years. I love being a statistician, and when I breathe my last breath, it will be as a statistician.
I belong to the American Statistical Association (ASA). The ASA is the oldest scientific society in the United States, and the largest organization of statisticians and data scientists in the world, with members that serve in industry, government, and academia in more than ninety countries. I have been a member of the ASA since 1998, when I joined as a graduate student in the Department of Biostatistics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Over the last five years, I have gotten very involved in the activities of the Biopharmaceutical Section of the ASA. I have been able to collaborate with numerous colleagues on research related to medical product development, address the needs of our discipline and profession, and mentor the next generation of statisticians. I have also made many friends. These years have been (and are) the most professionally rewarding I have had as a statistician. I love being a member of the ASA.
I love the ASA for other reasons, particularly in how it supports its members. For example, on April 8, 2016, the Board of Directors of the ASA passed a resolution to not sign meeting contracts in any state with discriminatory laws, a logical next step to the ASA’s commitment to diversity as described in our Meeting Conduct Policy. Going a step further, the ASA president and ASA executive director communicated this outcome directly to North Carolina governor Pat McCrory in a letter dated April 18, 2016, to specifically protest the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (HB2). More recently, the ASA released a statement and signed a multi-society letter urging President Trump to reconsider his discriminatory January 27, 2017, Executive Order on Visas and Immigration.
Many may say that a scientific society has no business wading into issues societal and political. However, if a scientific or professional society organization does not strive to ensure all of its members receive equitable opportunities for employment, compensation, advancement, or awards, with the ability to practice their discipline or attend a society event in an environment free from harassment and discrimination, then I would argue that that society is doing its members a disservice.
There will be many more fights ahead. Since Inauguration Day, scientists within numerous government agencies have been silenced, ordered not to discuss their research. Further, there have been numerous calls to reduce or eliminate regulations. I am concerned over both issues. In the first place, the gagging of science prevents collaboration and the sharing of data and findings that are needed to solve our toughest challenges. In the later instance, the removal of regulations will put people and the environment at risk. For example, the rules and regulations of the Food and Drug Administration were put in place to ensure that safe and effective therapies reach the marketplace. I am concerned that gutting regulations and underfunding FDA will ultimately put patients at risk by allowing unsafe or ineffective drugs to reach the market.
I am confident that the ASA will stand up for its members—as it has already done numerous times—and for the science to which we have committed our lives. In the meantime, I will be participating in the March for Science in Washington, DC, on April 22, 2017. I invite you to join me or to organize or join a sister march in a city near you. Let’s show other scientists that statisticians aren’t as introverted as they believe us to be.
Yours sincerely,
Richard C. Zink
Statistician