Ingram Olkin (1924-2016) was a principal founder of NISS and an internationally prominent statistician whose work stressed the importance of statistical thinking in studying major societal problems. Ingram was also admired for his inclusive mentoring approaches with junior researchers which continues to be a family tradition given that his daughter, Julia Olkin serves on this NISS committee.
NISS is proud to honor his memory in sponsoring the newly formed Ingram Olkin Statistics Serving Society (S3) Forums. The intention is that these forums engage scientists and stakeholders in addressing the compelling issues facing contemporary society and exploring the roles that statisticians and data scientists can bring to address these issues. The inaugural S3 Forum was a two-day workshop that was held in Alexandria, Virginia on June 26 and 27, 2019 that examined gun violence and how statisticians can contribute to its understanding.
NISS is currently reconfiguring this committee and is actively seeking individuals who are willing to help identify and plan future forums. Contact Jim Rosenberger, NISS Director, if you are interested.