Recent Innovations at Harvard Statistics: Attract More and Train Better Xiao-Li Meng Department of Statistics Harvard University 11/6/2015
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Transcript Recent Innovations at Harvard Statistics: Attract More and Train Better Xiao-Li Meng Department of Statistics Harvard University 11/6/2015
Recent Innovations at Harvard Statistics:
Attract More and Train Better
Xiao-Li Meng
Department of Statistics
Harvard University
11/6/2015
1
Statistics: A Rapidly Changing Field
A paradigm shift:
Larger, Deeper, and Faster
Balance
the “core” development with
interdisciplinary research
Carefully
reexamine pedagogical and
infrastructural needs
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2
A Recent Thesis …
Markov Chain Monte Carlo Applications in
Bioinformatics and Astrophysics
Hosung Kang
May, 2005
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3
So what’s the “average scale” between these two extremes?
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4
Apparently it is about 2.5” by 6” …
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Social
Sciences
Physical
Sciences
Engineering
Environmental
Science
Life
Sciences
Stat Core
Principles
Methods
Finance
Business
Law
Medical/Health
Sciences
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Sports
6
Examples of Recent Interdisciplinary Teaching
Computational Biology: STAT115/215; S. Liu (Biostat) & J. Liu
Social Sciences and Stat: STAT214/Econ 1127; Imbens (Econ) & Rubin
Law and Statistics: STAT 245/Law 98350-31; Greiner (Law) & Rubin
AstroStatistics: STAT 310; members of CfA & Meng
Wavelets for Signal and Image Processing: ES251/STAT251; Wolfe (SEAS) &
Meng
Statistical Finance: STAT 171/271; Lee & Blanchet
Epidemiology & Spatial Stat: STAT155/240; Izem, Ryan & Paciorek (Biostat)
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Initiatives in Undergraduate Education
Enhance Stat Concentration in quantity and quality
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Track
(2006-2007)
Quantitative Finance Track (2007-2008)
Examples of New “Outreach” Courses:
STAT105 (2008, Spring; Meng): Real-Life Statistics:
Your Chance of Happiness (or Misery)
STAT123 (2009, planned; Blyth): Quantitative Finance
for Wall Street
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Revamped Introductory Courses
STAT 100: for Social Sciences & Humanities (2 offerings)
STAT 101: for Psychology and the Behavioral Sciences
(2 offerings in AY09)
STAT102: Biostatistics (1 offering; planned to expand
to 2 offerings for Life and Medical Sciences in future)
STAT103: for Physical Sciences and Engineering
(planned for AY10)
STAT104: for Economics (4 offerings in AY09)
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ARIMA model, predicting 25 years with 95% confidence
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So do statisticians do a particular
good job in prediction?
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Innovations in Graduate Education
STAT303: The Art and Practice of Teaching Statistics
(Required for all 1st year Ph.D.s)
STAT399: Problem Solving in Statistics (helping Ph.D.
students beyond their first year transition through the
qualifying exams into research).
Team Teaching of Ph.D. courses (e.g., STAT 210, 211,
230 by Blitzstein and Morris; scribe notes)
Team Course Designs by graduate students and faculty
(e.g, STAT105 by Meng and the “Happy Team” of 7
Ph.D. and Master’s students)
Awards for Bi-annual Post-qualifying Presentations
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Initiatives for 2009-2010
Writing Workshop for J-term
Departmental teaching blog
Bi-annual teaching retreat
...
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