Navigating Tough Conversations in Statistical Collaboration
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2022 (August). An ASA traveling course instructed by Emily Griffith (North Carolina State Univ) and Julia Sharp (Colorado State Univ).
The goals of the workshop were to: build participants’ confidence to effectively communicate with clients and customers when challenging topics or situations arise by giving and soliciting examples of difficult conversations often encountered in statistical collaboration; provide suggestions to approach and engage in these difficult conversations through multiple interactive activities; and engage participants in the interactive session and learn from each other through discussion, role-playing, and conversations motivated by participants’ questions.
Short videos portraying difficult conversations between statisticians and their collaborators were used during the workshop and can be accessed via this link.
Some topics covered: What makes a conversation “tough” or difficult? Why have difficult conversations in statistical collaborations? Preparing for and approaching difficult conversations. How can we play to our strengths to navigate tough conversations? De-escalating difficult conversations. Turning down requests for new work from a current collaborator. Using statistical results to identify questions of interest. Advocating for data visualization. Navigating requests related to p-hacking and survey validation. Pseudo-replication and terminology. Refusal to use a statistician’s advice and co-authorship.
Addressing Bias: Propensity Score Weighting Using the Latest Methods
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2021 (July). An ASA traveling course instructed by Brian Vegetabile and Matthew Cefalu from RAND Corporation.
The workshop provided step-by-step guidelines on how to estimate and perform diagnostic checks of propensity score weights for research and evaluations examining the relative effectiveness of two or more interventions. The workshop also included a demonstration of how to apply the steps using open-source software, R. The primary aims of the course were for attendees to have an understanding of how to implement propensity score weighting using state-of-art methods and insights into some of the practical issues involving evaluating the quality of propensity score weights.
Some topics covered: Potential outcomes framework & causal estimands, Propensity score estimation, Generalized boosted model vs. logistic regression, Causal effects for binary treatments (step-by-step in R), Variable selection for causal modeling, Optimizing covariate balance directly
Empowering the Statistician with Spark, Machine Learning and Deep Learning
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2020 (November). An ASA traveling course instructed by Ming Li and Hui Lin from Amazon and Google, respectively.
DAY 1 covered: Introduction to Data Science, Cloud Platform & Big Data, Hands-on (Databricks Community Edition, R, Load Spark Dataframe, Python), Decision Trees, and Hands-on (R, Python).
DAY 2 covered: Feedforward Neural Network (FFNN), FFNN Hands-on (R, Python), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), CNN Hands-on (R, Python), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) (Introduction, Embedding), and RNN Hands-on (R, Python, Tokenize and Pad).
Reproducible Research with R & RStudio
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2019 (October). An ASA traveling course instructed by Garrett Grolemund of RStudio.
DAY 1 covered: Visualization w/ ggplot2; Data transforming w/ dplyr; Modeling w/ R, broom, and modelr; and Reproducible reporting w/ R markdown.
DAY 2 covered: Joining data sets w/ dplry; Working w/ different types of data w/ stringr, forcats, hms, lubridate; Tidying (wrangling) data w/ tidry; and Working w/ lists w/ purrr.
Evidence Synthesis & Meta-Analysis
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2019 (June). An ASA traveling course instructed by Christopher H. Schmid, Brown University School of Public Health.
DAY 1 Evidence Synthesis (Intro to, Preparing your topic, Formulating research Qs, Searching/screening studies, Extracting data, Assessing risk of bias, Qualitative synthesis, Meta-analysis, and reporting findings).
DAY 2 Meta-Analysis and Combining the Results of Multiple Studies (Overview, Types of MA outcomes, Weighted averages, Heterogeneity, 1- and 2-state models, Meta-regression, Bayesian models, Observational data, Participant-level data, Multivariate MA, Network MA).
It's Not What We Said, It's Not What They Heard, It's What They Say They Heard
2017 (December). Barry Nussbaum, 2017 ASA President. This was a non-technical talk which stresses the importance of very succinct and clear presentations of statistical analyses. The presentation was full of examples from Barry’s career at the U.S. EPA.
Applied Longitudinal Analysis
2017 (November). An ASA traveling course instructed by Garrett Fitzmaurice, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The goal of the course was to provide a broad introduction to statistical methods for analyzing longitudinal data. The emphasis was on the practical aspects of longitudinal analysis.
Statistics for Spatio-Temporal Data
2017 (March). An ASA traveling course instructed by Christopher K. Wikle, Department of Statistics, University of Missouri. The workshop was for those who wanted to learn about spatio-temporal processes and data analysis. The material was presented at an applied level, accessible to participants with a background and training in statistics and data analysis.
Census of Agriculture – History and Methodology
2015 (November). Kathy King, State Statistician, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Hawaii Field office. Kathy King spoke on the history and methodology of the Census of Agriculture. The Census of Agriculture is conducted every five years by USDA, NASS. It provides statistical information about farmers and farming in every state and county in the United States. Ms. King is a 14-year veteran of USDA, NASS and has been in Hawaii just a little over a year. She is enjoying learning about Hawaiian agriculture and culture.
Early Term Deliveries and Increased Newborn ICU Hospitalizations: Hawaii PRAMS, 2009-2011
2015 (September). Don Hayes, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Assigned Epidemiologist, Family Health Services Division, Hawaii Department of Health. During the meeting Don highlighted some current activities addressing infant mortality, including a specific focus on some analysis of Hawaii Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data on early term deliveries and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Admissions.
Census Surveys in Hawaii
2014 (September). Mat Tanigawa, Survey Statistician, U.S. Census Bureau. Mat was the first Census statistician to be stationed in Hawaii and was responsible for all data collection activities throughout the state. During the meeting Mat provided an overview of the current surveys operations in Hawaii and discussed some of the challenges, issues, and best practices his team faces in the process of collecting timely and accurate data.
Using PRAMS Data to Investigate Prescription Opioid Drug Use during Pregnancy in Hawaii
2014 (May). Emily K. Roberson, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), Hawaii Department of Health. The presentation covered two studies conducted as part of a larger project investigating prescription drug use during pregnancy in Hawaii and using Hawaii PRAMS data. The first study sought to determine the prevalence of opioid drug use during pregnancy, describe differences by maternal demographic characteristics, and investigate possible predictors of prescription opioid drug use during pregnancy. The second study aimed to determine whether prescription opioid use during pregnancy was associated with poorer birth outcomes.
Of adults in Hawaii, who are most likely to be considering, making a plan, or attempting suicide?
2013 (October). Kathleen Kromer Baker, Research Statistician, Hawaii Health Survey, Office of Health Status Monitoring, Hawaii Department of Health. Understanding the associated risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors will help identify adults in need. This presentation compared suicidal thoughts and behaviors of Hawaii’s adult population to national estimates. Statistical software and methods used in data analysis were discussed.
Applied Mixed Models
2013 (June). A two-day workshop instructed by Linda J. Young, Department of Statistics, University of Florida, that provided hands-on applications of mixed models approaches to data analysis. Topics covered at the workshop included: fixed and random effects, split plot analysis, linear mixed models, generalized linear mixed models, covariance structure models in a repeated measures setting, spatial variability, and advanced correlation structures.
ASA President Robert Rodriguez Presentations
2012 (December)
PRESENTATION #1
Statistical Leadership: Is It in Your Future?
Our ability to grow future statistical leaders should matter to all of us. The vitality and the visibility of our profession depend on influencing others to understand and act on our work. This presentation challenged us to think differently about statistical leadership and describe ways we can prepare students and younger colleagues for leadership roles.
PRESENTATION #2
Business Analytics and Big Data: What Do Statisticians Need to Succeed?
The demand for statistical skills is unprecedented in sectors of business and government where value, competitiveness, and efficiency are driven by large amounts of data. A 2011 study by McKinsey Global Institute predicts a shortfall of 140,000 to 190,000 “deep analytical positions” in the United States by 2018. Yet the statistics profession is largely unaware of the opportunities in these areas. This presentation explained what business analytics means for statisticians—and how they can contribute—using examples of critical business problems and analytic approaches. The presentation also described trends related to Big Data, including the use of unstructured data and distributed computing. Recommendations were provided on how to better prepare students for careers in these environments and to help them develop the skills they need to flourish within their organizations.
Highlights of the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) & its Actuarial Valuation Process & Reporting
2012 (September). A presentation on the "Highlights of the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) and its Actuarial Valuation Process & Reporting," by Larry Wolfe, Accounting Branch Chief, and Keith Miyamoto, Information Services Branch Chief, State of Hawaii ERS.
Hawaii P20W Statewide Longitudinal Data System
2012 (August). A presentation on the "Hawaii P‐20 Partnerships for Education Statewide Longitudinal Data System," by Todd Ikenaga, Program Manager, University of Hawaii. Hawaii P‐20 was working with various agencies and organizations to facilitate the planning of a longitudinal data system for educational improvement.
ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein Presentations
2012 (June)
PRESENTATION #1
Promoting the Practice and Profession of Statistics through Research Support, Education, and Service
Ron Wasserstein shared information regarding national ASA programs and his insights on the trends and uses of statistics. This seminar was jointly sponsored by the UH JABSOM Biostatistics & Data Management Core and the ASA Hawaii Chapter.
PRESENTATION #2
Statistics Education and Statistical Capacity in the University of Hawaii System
Ron Wasserstein facilitated a discussion with UH System and Manoa campus faculty and staff interested in building system and campus-wide statistical capacity.
Biostatistics & Data Management Core at UH JABSOM
2012 (May). A presentation on the "Biostatistics & Data Management Core at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), University of Hawaii at Manoa" by John Chen, Professor and Director of Biostatistics & Data Management Core, JABSOM.
Dasymetric Population Mapping in Hawaii
2012 (February). A presentation on the "Pacific Disaster Center, Dasymetric Population Mapping in Hawaii" by Lara Payne, Senior Geospatial Information Analyst, Pacific Disaster Center (PDC).
Design of Experiments
2011 (October). A presentation on the " Design of Experiments" by Larry Sue, Consultant and ASA Hawaii Chapter Officer.
Sleep Related Prevalence and Associations with Selected Health Indicators
2011 (September). A presentation on "Sleep Related Prevalence and Associations with Selected Health Indicators" by Florentina Reyes-Salvail, Department of Health, State of Hawaii.
A Secondary Analysis of the Samoan Diet and Health Study’s Food Frequency Questionnaire Data
2011 (September). A presentation on "A Secondary Analysis of the Samoan Diet and Health Study’s Food Frequency Questionnaire Data " by Kevin Cassell, University of Hawaii Cancer Center.
Wildlife Mortality Associated with Windfarms in Hawaii
2011 (August). A presentation on the "Wildlife Mortality Associated with Windfarms in Hawaii" by Andrew Taylor, Department of Biology, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Salinity and Electrolytic Cells
2011 (June). A presentation on the " Salinity and Electrolytic Cells" by Paul J. Hurst, who was a junior at Kahuku High School. He was the Senior Division winner of the ASA Hawaii Chapter "Best Application of Statistics" Award at the 2011 Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair, which is an event sponsored by the Hawaii Academy of Science.
Using Census Data for Reapportionment and Redistricting: An Example from 2001
2011 (February). A presentation on "Using Census Data for Reapportionment and Redistricting: An Example from 2001" by Royce Jones, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI).
Successful Data Mining in Practice
2011 (February). A one-day ASA Council of Chapters Traveling Course on "Successful Data Mining in Practice" taught by Dick De Veaux, Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Department, Williams College.
Pre-Election Surveys and Prediction Methodology
2010 (October). A presentation on "Pre-Election Surveys and Prediction Methodology" by Jim Dannemiller, SMS Research & Marketing Services, Inc.
Energy Industry Information Reporting Program (EIIRP)
2010 (August). A presentation on "The New Energy Industry Information Reporting Program (EIIRP)" by Eugene Tian, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, State of Hawaii.
Hawaii Insurance Industry and Statistics
2010 (June). A presentation on the "Hawaii Insurance Industry and Statistics" by J.P. Schmidt, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, State of Hawaii.
Issues Related to Healthcare Reform
2010 (April). A presentation on " Issues Related to Healthcare Reform" by Wendell Oda, Hawaii Medical Service Association.
The 2010 Census
2010 (February). A presentation on the "The 2010 Census" by Marilyn Yoza, Department of Commerce U.S. Census Bureau.
Epidemiology of H1N1 Flu Virus
2009 (October). A presentation on "Epidemiology of H1N1 Flu Virus" by Sarah Park, Department of Health, State of Hawaii.
Using Customer Satisfaction Surveys to Retain and Acquire Customers
2008 (October). A presentation on "Using Customer Satisfaction Surveys to Retain and Acquire Customers" by Wanda Kakugawa, Market Trends Pacific, Inc.
Science and Research Group, State Department of Health
2008 (September). A presentation on "The Department of Health Science and Research Group" by Robert Hirokawa, Department of Health, State of Hawaii.
Spatial Statistics, What Is It, and What It Is Used For?
2008 (May). A presentation on "Spatial Statistics, What Is It, and What It Is Used For?" by Russell Yost, Department of Tropical Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Native Hawaiian Well-Being Statistics & Age
2007 (October). A presentation on "Native Hawaiian Well-Being Statistics & Age" by Nolan Malone, Kamehameha Schools.
Hawaii’s Influenza Surveillance Program
2007 (August). A presentation on "Hawaii’s Influenza Surveillance Program" by Ranjani Rajan, Department of Health, State of Hawaii.
Cumulative Loss Rates: Predictive tool
2007 (July). A presentation on "Cumulative Loss Rates: Predictive Tool Used to Forecast Credit Losses and Adjust Underwriting Standards by Rick Murphy, Bank of Hawaii.
Research and Evaluation at Kamehameha Schools
2007 (April). A presentation on " Research and Evaluation at Kamehameha Schools" by Katherine Tibbets, Kamehameha Schools.
Honolulu Police Department Data and Statistics
2007 (February). A presentation on the "Honolulu Police Department Data and Statistics" by Carlton Nishimura, Honolulu Police Department, City & County of Honolulu.
The Number-Needed-to-Treat (NNT) Method: An Effective Tool to Evaluate Intervention Efficacy & Cost
2006 (July). A presentation on "The Number-Needed-to-Treat (NNT) Method: An Effective Tool to Evaluate Intervention Efficacy and Cost Implications by Olga Geling, Office of Public Health Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey
2006 (April). A presentation on "U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey" by Eugene Tian, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, State of Hawaii.
Older Adults and Caregivers
2005 (December). A presentation on "Older Adults and Caregivers" by Tammy Tom, Executive Office on Aging, State of Hawaii.
Tourism Statistics
2003. A presentation on "Tourism Statistics" by
Eugene Tian, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, State of Hawaii.
Dengue Fever Outbreak
2002. A presentation on "Dengue Fever Outbreak" by
Tammy Tom, Department of Health, State of Hawaii.