Post on 04-Sep-2020
transcript
Newsletter of the South African Statistical Association (SASA) Postal Address: SASA, PO Box 3341, Matieland, 7602 South Africa Website: www.sastat.org.za
View this email in your browser
SASA 2015 Conference
Past President's message - James Allison
Ladies and gentlemen, I spent a lot
of time thinking what would be the
best way to begin my presidential
address at a statistics
conference….
An obvious way would be to use
some kind of graph. Or I could try
to grab your attention with the
following quote, one of the many
funny quotes out there about big
data:
“Big Data is like teenage sex:
Editorial
Dear SASA members
Welcome back to a new
year! Also welcome to all new members. This newsletter contains
news on the successful
annual conference hosted
by the University of
Pretoria and Statistics SA,
with many international guests. Since the
conference was held in
December, it was decided
to issue this newsletter as
a December
2015/January 2016 issue.
It contains the presidential
everyone talks about it, nobody
really knows how to do it, everyone
thinks everyone else is doing it, so
everyone claims they are doing it” –
Dan Ariely
Download document
Francesca Little - new SASA President
"I take over the reigns from James
Allison as president of SASA during
a tumultuous period in academia.
We have been talking about a crisis
in Academic Statistics but I think
we all face a different kind of crisis
at our respective universities, and
one that makes it even more of a
challenge to stay focused and to
continue to do what is best for our
discipline and our students....
address of the past president, Prof James
Alison and the initiatives
in an introduction of the
incoming president, Prof
Francesca Little. Minister
Jeff Radebe’s address is
also included. Reports on
the conference and the
online teaching activities
can be read. See many
photos taken at the
conference.
Congratulations to all the prize winners!
There will be two more
issues during 2016,
namely May 2016 and
September 2016 with due
dates for submitting
articles 1 April 2016 and 1
August 2016.
See the announcement
and call for overseas
visitors for the 2016 SASA
conference to be held at
the University of Cape Town from 28 November
to 1 December this
year. There is a vacancy
for someone to coordinate
the young statisticians
network. Please nominate
a suitable candidate by 28
February 2016 on the
form included.
The seminar program of
Read more
Hon Jeff Radebe - opening address
The legacy of our President, the
late Nelson Mandela lives with us
today through his everlasting
commitment to freedom from
oppression, poverty, and
ignorance. His resolve for a better
life for all remains a clarion call that
implores us to act in unison and
defeat the scourge of poverty,
unemployment and
inequality. Nelson Mandela
provides us the most profound
advice on planning and as he
retired from high intensity political
life he said “it is in your hands.” In
a letter from prison, a place that
became his home for almost a
generation, he wrote thus
“Significant progress is always
possible if we ourselves plan every
detail and allow intervention of fate
only on our own terms. Preparing a
master plan and applying it are
totally different things.” These
inspiring words of Madiba, the
freedom fighter, the revolutionary,
the peace builder, the humanist,
the planner and philosopher
the University of Stellenbosch is included.
Take note of the dates. If
you plan any activity in
your chapter, please let
us know.
This newsletter will be
available in pdf format on
the SASA webpage.
Hope you have a
successful 2016!
Mardi
For contact details,
submissions and advertising click here
The host of the SASA
2016 Conference will be
the University of Cape
Town. It will take place in
Cape Town from 28 November to 1 December
2016.
recognised the importance of
mathematics and he urged that this
subject should be done for at least
up to an hour every day in order for
us to achieve a society that can
reason through the use of
evidence.
Download document
Welcome - new members!
• Prof M Arashi, Associate Professor, University of Shahrood, m_arashi_stat@yahoo.com
• Prof N Balakrishnan, Distinguished Professor, McMaster University, bala@mcmaster.ca
• Dr ALB Baughman, Biostatistician, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Namibia, alb1@cdc.gov
• Dr S Chisi, Veterinarian, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, songechisi@gmail.com
• Mr PW Claassen, Statistical Analyst, Discovery Health, paulw.claassen@gmail.com
• Ms T Cronje, Statistician, Lighstone, tanitacronje@gmail.com
• Dr E Grapsa, Senior Researcher, University of KwaZulu-Natal, erwfili@gmail.com
Call for
nominations for visitors for the 2016
conference
Any SASA member
wishing to nominate an
overseas visitor for the 2016 SASA Conference,
please contact the
secretary of the Executive
Committee with
supporting information by
28 February 2016. The
contact details for the
secretary are:
The Secretary: SASA
P O Box 3341
Matieland
7602
email: Inger.Fabris-
Rotelli@up.ac.za
Stellenbosch seminar
program: download
semester one
schedule
• Mr EN Gyamfi, , University of Venda, winterblaze1707@gmail.com
• Mr P Khabo, Biostatistician, Phidisa Project/SAMHS, pkhabo@hixnet.co.za
• Prof YG Kifle, Associate Professor, University of Limpopo, yehenew.kifle@ul.ac.za
• Mr M Letsoalo, Deputy Director, National Department of Social Development, letsoalopm@gmail.com
• Dr S Manual, Lecturer, Vaal University of Technology, sobym@vut.ac.za
• Mr M Masemula, Methodologist, Statistics South Africa, MandlaM@statssa.gov.za
• Ms MH Mojapelo, Foundation for Professional Development, mphur@yahoo.co
Announcement A pdf version of this newsletter will
be available on the SASA webpage.
Last date of submission for news items are as follows:
May newsletter: 1 April
September newsletter: 1 August
December/January newsletter: 1 December
2015 Conference
The 2015 SASA conference was big – us here on the LOC are still recovering.
It was worth it though and the LOC hopes that all delegates found benefit from
the plethora of international experts in the various fields. A thanks from mini-
plenary speaker Prof Heeringa:
“After a very productive two weeks spent participating in the annual SASA
conference at the University of Pretoria and a second week spent visiting at
Stellenbosch, UCT and Rhodes, I am back in Ann Arbor and digging out from
the work that piled up while I was enjoying the South African sunshine. I want to
thank you all as a group for the invitation to attend the conference and for
arranging the post conference visits to Stats SA and your University
departments. All around, it was a very educational and enjoyable experience for
me both professionally and personally. I hope at some point in the future to
return the favour if you have the opportunity to be in the States and can pass
through Ann Arbor.”
A thanks from mini-plenary speaker Prof Montaz Ali:
“I thank you both for allowing me to present my talk at SASA2015. It was very
kind of you. This was my first presentation in a conference in statistics. We
shall keep in touch.”
A thanks from a delegate Dr Salimeh Yasaei:
“I would like to thank you once again for an amazing conference and great
moments that you created in Pretoria for me. Now I am in Brazil and everything
on my way back went fine. Thank you very much for your nice hosting and I
hope I can meet you again soon. ”
The LOC also thanks all the generous sponsors as well as co-hosts Stats SA,
and all the individuals who organised special sessions as well as chairs of all
the session.
The conference celebrated the birthday of the Department of Statistics at the
University of Pretoria as well. The first statistics lecture at the University of
Pretoria was given 90 years ago, and the Department of Statistics at the
University of Pretoria celebrates its 76th birthday. Prof Stoker was present to
cut the cake and Prof Crowther said a few words to commemorate the
occasion, both past heads of department.
(Left) Opening Function – 29 November 2015, AULA, University of Pretoria
(Top centre) Balloon celebration in front of the AULA, University of Pretoria,
after the cutting of the cake
(Bottom centre) Prof Nico Crowther, past Head of Department, next to current
Head of Department, Prof Andriette Bekker
(Right) Prof DJ Stoker, past Head of Department cutting the cake with Dr
Liebie Louw, current staff member of the department
Sichel Award
Prof Max Finkelstein,
receives the Sichel Award
from Prof Paul Fatti
Thought leader award Prof Neil le Roux receives it
from Prof Paul Mostert
Education news 2014 SASA POST GRADUATE PAPER COMPETITION sponsored by StatsSA
The 2015 SASA Postgraduate Paper Competition, sponsored by StatsSA has
been a success!
SASA received 5 entries from 3 universities, namely University of Cape Town,
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the University of Pretoria.
It is the SASA Education Committee’s pleasure to congratulate the winners for
2015:
1st Prize: Charl Janse van Rensburg from the University of Pretoria with the
title: Big Data: A Compressed Sensing Approach
2nd Prize: Hassan Sadiq from the University of Cape Town with the title:
Inferring Hiv-1 Drug Resistance As Episodic Directional Selection using Topic
Models
3rd Prize: Christiaan Ras from the University of Pretoria with the title: Risk
Performance of A Heteroscedastic Preliminary Test Estimator under the
Reflected Normal Loss Function
First and foremost, the SASA Education Committee wants to thank StatsSA for
their generous sponsorship of the competition. This sponsorship entailed R14
000 for the winner, as well as all expenses paid for the winner to attend and
present his paper at the SASA Conference at the University of Pretoria. The 2nd
prize winner received R10 000 and the 3rd prize winner R7 750.
The SASA Education Committee also wants to use this opportunity to thank the
judges: Prof Tertius de Wet (US), Prof Paul Mostert (US) and Prof Jacky Galpin
(Wits) for their time and effort judging the postgraduate papers, as well as all the
universities that have participated in this competition.
The 2015 first prize winner for the Post Graduate Paper
Competition, sponsored by StatsSA, Charl Janse van Rensburg
(centre), receiving his award from Pali Lehohla (Statistician
General-StatsSA on the left) and Minister Jeff Radebe (right) at
the 2015 SASA conference.
2015/2016 SASA Student Project Competition (sponsored by SAS®)
The SASA education committee invites all South African Universities to prepare
their top three honours projects in Statistics from 2015 for the 2015/2016 SASA
Honours Project Competition sponsored by SAS®. The head of the
Department/School at each University may submit up to three projects and
group work is allowed. There is an additional prize for the best use of SAS in
an honours project (to be awarded to the project that utilises the software best
and places in the top three). The national prize winner will be sponsored to
present their project at the annual SASA conference. The closing date for
entries is 15 March 2016. Please contact Karl Huang should you require
further details.
SASA Education Committee
Contact person: Karl Huang
E-mail: chun-kai.huang@uct.ac.za
The 2014/15 first prize winners for the SASA Honours Project
Competition sponsored by SAS®, Margaret de Villers (and
Dalene Saaiman - not present) (centre), receiving the award from
Pali Lehohla (Statistician General-StatsSA on the left) and Minister
Jeff Radebe (right) at the 2015 SASA conference.
Top student presentations at SASA 2015 Top Left: Janet van Niekerk and Murray de Villiers (1st doctoral presentation) Top Middle: Johan Ferreira and Sollie Millard(2nd doctoral presentation)
Top Tight: Sharkay Izally and Sollie Millard (1st Masters poster)
Bottom Left: Albert Mijburgh and Sollie Millard (2nd masters poster)
Bottom Middle: Prenil Sewmohan and Sollie Millard (1st honours poster)
Bottom Right: Ane Neethling and Sollie Millard (2nd honours poster)
SASA Education Committee Project on Online Teaching Materials
Recognition of the fact that Statistics Departments around the country are
grappling with different ways of addressing the problem of shortage of teaching
capacity, whilst being faced with ever increasing numbers of first year students,
lead the SASA Education Committee to define Special Project which aims to
develop a bank of e-materials, for an introductory statistics course, for use by
universities around the country. The focus is on building on international best
practices, whilst ensuring that materials developed “speak to the reality” of our
local set-up, i.e. materials developed must be relevant to the world of a typical
student in our complex class room, where there are varying levels of
preparation, many different home languages, etc.
The Project was launched during SASA2015, where two sessions and a
workshop was held on the topic of new developments for teaching of
introductory statistics. Invited speakers, with proven expertise in Statistics
Education locally, gave talks on their experiences and challenges from a South
African perspective, whilst the special guest speaker, a world leader in statistics
education, Chris Wild (Auckland University), lead the Invited Session, with a
mini-plenary, entitled Data to Insight: Prototyping next-generation introductory
statistics.
All sessions culminated in a panel discussion, on the way forward, which will
inform the vision of setting up a bank of on-line materials as a national
resource. Note that the idea is not to create an opportunity for “self-learning”,
but rather the put together a set of modern resources, so that less experienced
teachers may have more chance of being successful in engaging the new age
students.
The Workshop and Sessions were well-attended, with vibrant discussions
giving the perfect starting point for further developments in 2016.
Message from Chris Wild: It was a great pleasure to be
invited to South Africa for all
the wonderful sights, sounds,
wildlife and people I
encountered in your beautiful
country, but an even a
greater pleasure to contribute
to the SASA’s new
introductory statistics project.
One of the foremost strategic
goals of very important
statistical society
internationally is increasing
the statistical literacy and
capability of society at large.
Introductory statistics is a key
lever for making progress
towards this goal because it
reaches such a large
proportion of university-
educated people and
because it is largely
controlled by statisticians.
Additionally, the most important future decision-leaders that we teach are
students sprinkled amongst the masses in introductory statistics who will not
continue with statistics. We need to teach them in a way that that conveys the
power of statistics and its practitioners. I come from the Department that gave
the world R, the greatest demonstration of the power of joint development and
sharing for delivering real progress in statistics. SASA is to be congratulated for
deciding to harness this same power to advance introductory statistics right
across South Africa, and especially for those universities facing the biggest
challenges in delivering high quality teaching of modern statistics.
Call for Chairperson of the Young Statisticians Network
We would like to create a portfolio on the SASA executive committee for
someone to coordinate the activities of the association for young statisticians.
Duties will include coordinating all the activities and competitions for young
statisticians during the annual conference, putting together information on
careers in the form of a brochure and on our website, using social media to
interact with the statistics community, taking initiative to make SASA an
association that looks after the well-being of our future generation of
Statisticians.
We invite nominations for this portfolio from SASA members. Each candidate
needs to be nominated by two SASA members and need to indicate their
willingness to take on this portfolio should they be elected.
Nominations should be emailed to Inger.Fabris-Rotelli@up.ac.za by 28
February 2016.
Click here for the nomination form
Copyright © 2016 SASA (South African Statistical Association), All rights reserved. This email is for SASA members. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list