Statistics and Science Policy

摘要

Shortly after being appointed the ASA's Executive Director in 2007, Ron Wasserstein said, "Statisticians complain that no one ever listens to us. We need to be saying something!" As one of his first tasks at the ASA, Ron followed through on the 2006 board motion that arose from 2006 ASA President Sallie Keller's initiative on science policy: to hire a director of science policy. Shortly after, Steve Pierson joined the ASA and found multiple areas in which we all know statistics should be involved. But he discovered our legislators, policy experts, and decision-makers often do not know statistics should be involved. So, he set about identifying those key individuals and has continued to do so, despite changing administrations. At no time since then has his role been more critical than it is today.