2013: A Celebration of Statistics at Baylor

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WACO, Texas (April 12, 2013) - The Chinese have called it the Year of the Snake, while Ram Trucks' Super Bowl commercial proclaimed it the Year of the Farmer, but 2013 is being called by a different name at Baylor on April 16: The Year of Statistics. As part of a worldwide celebration of statistics and probability, the university will host Ronald Wasserstein, Ph.D., for a lecture at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, in Room C.105 of the Baylor Sciences Building, 101 Bagby Ave.

Wasserstein is the executive director of the American Statistical Association, one of five organizations sponsoring the international event. His lecture is titled "Celebrating the International Year of Statistics" and will regard the importance of promoting the practice and profession of statistics around the world.

"Our department is extremely honored that Dr. Wasserstein will be visiting us," said Jane Harvill, Ph.D., associate professor of statistical science in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences. "He's an amazing, very kind man with boundless energy, whose work has contributed substantially to the practice of statistics, as well as statistical education in local schools (K-12) and universities."

Nearly 1,900 organizations in more than 120 countries are participating in the International Year of Statistics, which seeks to increase public awareness of statistics' power, nurture the practice as a career (especially among young people) and promote creativity and development in the field.

A statement on the website for the event says its organizers hope "citizens of the world will gain a greater appreciation for the myriad ways statistics improves the quality of life and greatly advances our global society."

The lecture at Baylor is free and open to the public. For more information, call (254) 710-1699. To learn more about the International Year of Statistics, click here.

by Brent Salter, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

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Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.

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