September 24, 2016
L.K. Downing Hall Auditorium, Room 1020
Howard University
2300 6th St NW, Washington, DC 20059
StatFest is a one day conference aimed at encouraging undergraduate students from historically underrepresented groups to consider careers and graduate studies in the statistical sciences. The conference is an ongoing initiative of the American Statistical Association through its Committee on Minorities in Statistics. The conference includes presentations from established professionals, academic leaders, and current graduate students that will help attendees understand the opportunities and routes for success in the field. Panel forums include information and tips for a rewarding graduate student experience, achieving success as an academic statistician, opportunities in the private and government arenas, among other topics.
We are excited that StatFest will be held at Howard University, one of the nation's most prestigious historically black universities, on Saturday, September 24, 2016. The program agenda is shown below.
Conference registration is now closed.
For more information please contact Talitha Washington at talitha.washington@howard.edu or Jesse Chittams at chittams@nursing.upenn.edu.
Travel advisory regarding traffic closures: Due to the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture there will be road closures near the National Mall/Monuments/National Museum downtown areas. These areas are 2+ miles away from Howard University but may affect those traveling through the downtown area.
Bios and Pictures
Agenda
8:30 - 9:00 Continental Breakfast and Check-In
9:00 - 9:15 Welcome and Opening Remarks Reneé Moore - Emory University Bernard Mair - Howard University Ron Wasserstein - American Statistical Association
9:15 - 9:45 Keynote Address Dionne Price - U.S. Food and Drug Administration
10:35 - 10:45 Break/Snack
11:35 - 1:00 Lunch (Networking Circles)
2:00 - 2:15 Break/Snack
2:15 - 3:15 Session IV: Parallel Sessions Students: The Graduate Student Experience Adrian Bruce - Howard University Kamrine Poels - Harvard University Alexis White - American University Jemar Bather - New York University Moderator: Felicia Griffin - U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FSU Graduate 2015) Faculty and Professionals: Attracting and Retaining Students - Promoting Diversity in the Profession Moderator: Jesse Chittams - University of Pennsylvania
3:30 - 3:45 Conference Wrap-up and Concluding Remarks
3:45 - 4:45 Poster Session and Ice Cream Reception
Location, Transportation, and Parking
Howard University is located in the heart of Washington DC. If flying to DC, Reagan Washington National airport (airport code DCA) is most convenient. Near Howard University there is a metro (subway) stop served by the Yellow and Green lines approximately 6/10 of a mile south of Downing Hall although subway service may be delayed due to maintenance work on the weekend - subway status alerts and general information are available at www.wmata.com. Note that using the metro requires each rider to buy a SmarTrip metro card that can be purchased in the metro stations but may require a few minutes to buy. Uber or taxi service may be an option for those staying overnight in the area. Parking on campus during the weekends is free and there are parking lots to the north and south of the auditorium.
Hotel
Many attendees are staying at the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City, Virginia, about 1 mile from Reagan Washington National airport. Our block of rooms at a reduced rate has been filled so rooms booked now will have higher rates (as of 9/15/16 about $149 - $169 although this may increase as the conference date nears). These higher rates may still be relatively low compared to hotels in Washington, DC and Maryland. Reservations should be made through this link. Transportation from the Hyatt to Howard University is most convenient using the metro (subway) Yellow line. The trip involves a 15-minute walk or free Hyatt shuttle bus to the Yellow Line metro in Crystal City, a 15 minute subway ride to the Shaw-Howard Yellow Line stop, and a 10 minute walk from the metro stop to L.K. Downing Auditorium. Planned departure times for Yellow Line trains and other information regarding fares and schedules are available at www.wmata.com. Note that using the metro requires each rider to buy a SmarTrip metro card that can be purchased in the station but may require a few minutes to buy.
Sponsors
StatFest 2016 is made possible due to the generous support of the following sponsors:
The American Statistical Association, Howard University, Emory University, Abbott Laboratories, and The Great Young Society II.
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Organizing Committee for StatFest 2016:
Jesse Chittams - University of Pennsylvania
Adrian Coles - Duke Clinical Research Institute
Nicholas Horton - Amherst College
Monica Jackson - American University
Neal Jeffries - National Institutes of Health
Joe King - U.S. Department of Labor
Reneé Moore - Emory University
Nagambal Shah - Spelman College, Professor Emerita
Talitha Washington - Howard University
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