Statisticians at UW are coming together to foster a community of knowledge-seeking, mathematically-minded people at the university though the Statistics Club.
Though the Statistics Club has been around for two years, the group has just recently become an RSO. They currently have 14 official members with approximately 30 interested. Scott Crawford, statistics lecturer, said that the club is centered on all things statistics.
“We learn statistics skills, discuss methodology and celebrate research being done by students and faculty,” Crawford said. “We regularly hold ‘open consulting’ meetings where anyone on campus is invited to bring their data so we can collaborate on how it could be analyzed. These consulting sessions are free of charge and a fun way to get tips and help with analyzing data.”
The group is unique in its ability to be relatable for students of many different backgrounds. Mallory Lai, vice president, said this strengthens the group overall.
“Our members come from many different backgrounds – biology, sociology, math, political science, with very different skill sets,” Lai said. “We have chosen to embrace statistics because of its ability to help us answer the types of questions we have.”
Lai said the creation of the Statistics Club helps provide students with a way to become better researchers.
“We wanted to create a club that would bring together students from different disciplines wanting to learn or develop a marketable skill,” Lai said.
Meetings and lectures sponsored by the Statistics Club are open to any interested parties and cover details about research, discoveries and details about all things related to statistics.
“We encourage participation from every major and department at UW, often discussing the analytical needs of undergraduates and graduates in other disciplines and colleges,” Crawford said. “The Statistics Club isn’t about the statistics department, it’s about everyone in Wyoming who is seeking to learn through scientific exploration.”
Crawford sees the Statistics Club becoming a place where UW students and staff can get advice and guidance while doing research. The collective expertise of the club will hopefully serve as a resource for any in need.
“It won’t be long before all of campus realizes there is somewhere they can come for help with their data,” Crawford said. “As we develop there will be more connections with faculty around all of campus increasing the diversity of research presented at our meetings.”
Students and staff are also encouraged to present the club with data that they need help analyzing.
“We train topics in computer science, mathematics, psychology, education, English and business, to name a few,” Crawford said.
The Statistics Club meets every Friday at 10 a.m. in Ross Hall 339. Any and all interested staff or students are welcome.
“Any student that likes to see how the chaos of data can help us understand the world is welcome to come join us,” Crawford said.
