The final installment of the NISS Writing Workshop 2024 was held on August 4 at the Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) in Portland, OR. This engaging in-person session was preceded by the two intensive Fridays (July 19 & 26), of which were marked by a rich blend of interactive tutorials and panel discussions aimed at equipping participants with valuable skills and veteran insights in writing, career development, and the latest advancements in artificial intelligence.
Sunday began with opening remarks by the chair of the organizing committee, Piaomu Liu, Bentley University, who led the introduction session. Dr. Liu then introduced NISS Director, David S. Matteson, who moderated the session, leading with questions, encouraging networking and setting the stage for a series of engaging discussions.
The highlight of the morning was Tutorial 6: "An Introduction to ChatGPT," presented by Didong Li, Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Li’s tutorial offered an in-depth exploration of ChatGPT and its applications in statistical writing and communication. Attendees were introduced to how AI tools like ChatGPT can streamline writing processes and enhance productivity. The session provided practical tips for leveraging AI in crafting clear and effective statistical narratives.
Following the tutorial, the focus shifted to career development with Panel 3: "Speaking from Experiences and Career Development," moderated by David S. Matteson (NISS/Cornell), featuring distinguished expert panel members Ali Shojaie (Professor, University of Washington), Bin Yu (Dist. Professor, University of California, Berkeley), Edsel Peña (Professor, University of South Carolina), and David Banks (Professor, Duke University). The esteemed panelists shared their diverse personal career journeys, discussed challenges encountered, and offered strategies for achieving success in the field of statistics.
Topics from the two Friday (Jul 19 & 26) virtual workshops included:
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- Tutorial 1: Writing Well as an Act of Kindness for Our Students and Colleagues,
- Tutorial 2: Choosing Where to Publish,
- Panel 1: Grant Writing,
- Tutorial 3: Reviewing and Revising,
- Tutorial 4: How to Write a Collaborative Paper,
- Panel 2: Statistics and Data Science Journals,
- Tutorial 5: Ethical Issues and Reproducibility,
- Tutorial 6: An Introduction to ChatGPT, and
- Panel 3: Speaking from Experiences and Career Development.
We thank the 2024 NISS Writing Workshop sponsors for their continued support:
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- The National Science Foundation (NSF), (NSF Award No. 2432249)
- The American Statistical Association (ASA),
- The Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute (CANSSI),
- The Caucus for Women in Statistics and Data Science (CWS),
- The Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS),
- The International Biometric Society (IBS) Western North American Region, and
- RTI International.
We also wish to send a hearty THANK YOU to all of our amazing contributors, mentors, and organizers:
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- Ali Shojaie, University of Washington (Panelist – Mentor)
- Bill Rosenberger, George Mason University, Biometrics Co-Editor (Panelist – Mentor)
- Bin Yu, University of California, Berkeley (Panelist – Mentor)
- Cheryl Eavey, NSF SBE Program Director (Panelist – Mentor)
- Dan Kowal, Cornell University (Organizer – Mentor)
- Dan Nettleton, Iowa State University (Speaker – Mentor)
- David Banks, Duke University (Panelist – Mentor)
- David Dunson, Duke University and NIH Analytics and Statistics for Population Research Panel B (ASPB) Study Section Chairperson (Panelist – Mentor)
- David S. Matteson, Director of NISS/Cornell University (Organizer – Mentor)
- Didong Li, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Speaker – Mentor)
- Donald Richards, Penn State University (Speaker – Mentor)
- Edsel Peña, University of South Carolina (Panelist – Mentor)
- Eric Lock, University of Minnesota (Mentor)
- Galin Jones, University of Minnesota, JCGS Co-Editor (Mentor)
- Jun Zhu, University of Wisconsin, Madison and Program officer for NSF's Division of Mathematical Sciences (Panelist – Mentor)
- Karen Kafadar, University of Virginia, AoAS Past Editor-in-Chief (Mentor)
- Michael Stein, Rutgers University, JASA ACS Editor (Panelist – Mentor)
- Naomi Altman, Penn State University (Speaker – Mentor)
- Natalie Dean, Emory University (Mentor)
- Paromita Dubey, University of Southern California (Mentor)
- Peter Imrey, Cleveland Clinic LCM (Speaker – Mentor)
- Rebecca Hubbard, University of Penn, Biostatistics Co-Editor and NEJM Statistical Editor (Panelist – Mentor)
- Susan Ellenberg, University of Pennsylvania (Speaker – Mentor)
- Tim Hesterberg, Instacart (Mentor)
- Xuming He, University of Michigan, JASA Past Co-Editor (Mentor)
- Yao Zheng, University of Connecticut (Mentor)
Overall, the 2024 NISS Writing Workshop was a resounding success, offering participants valuable knowledge and practical skills that will undoubtedly benefit their professional development and enhance their approach to statistical writing and career progression.
Please see the slides from the in-person ChatGPT session on Sunday, August 4, 2024 presentation by Dr. Didong Li, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
