The National Institute of Statistical Sciences (NISS) is happy to announce that David Yang has joined its staff as the Research Associate to work with the Education Statistics Services Institute (ESSI). ESSI provides technical expertise to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the areas of statistical methodology research, statistical analysis, survey development and project management. NISS is a partner with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and RTI International in operating ESSI. 
As part of his new position at NISS, Yang will be responsible for providing methodological and statistical support for technical review activities, including leading reviews and providing substantive and technical comments on draft NCES products such as reports, data files, file documentation and web sites. He will take a lead role in projects that monitor the quality of NCES data and track the use of NCES data products by practitioners, researchers and policy makers. He will also conduct data analyses and write research and technical reports.
NCES conducts studies and produces reports that cut across all levels of education, from early childhood through life-long learning. The agency also oversees planning, design, operations, statistical analysis, reporting and dissemination for elementary, secondary and library surveys at the national, state, and local levels.
Yang received his Bachelor of Science degree in biotechnology at the Fudan University in Shanghai, China. He obtained his Master of Science degree in Statistics at the University of Kentucky. He is a SAS Certified Advanced Programmer. He interned at the IAQ Laboratories as a Statistical Analyst.
Yang will work and reside in the Washington DC area.
About NISS
The National Institute of Statistical Sciences was established in 1990 by the national statistics societies and the Research Triangle universities and organizations, with the mission to identify, catalyze and foster high-impact, cross-disciplinary and cross-sector research involving the statistical sciences. NISS is dedicated to strengthening and serving the national statistics community, most notably by catalyzing community members’ participation in applied research driven by challenges facing government and industry. NISS also provides career development opportunities for statisticians and scientists, especially those in the formative stages of their careers. NISS is located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
For more information about NISS, go to the new website www.niss.org.