SSA - Victorian Branch 50th Anniversary Event

Wednesday 2nd April 2014 marked the 50 year anniversary of the Victorian Branch of the Statistical Society of Australia, with Professor Evan Williams as the first President of the Branch. A young man was doing honours in statistics at The University of Melbourne in the founding year, 1964; he joined the Society at that time.

That young man received the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science in 2013, so it is appropriate for Professor Terry Speed to give a lecture to commemorate this anniversary. Terry is the head of Bioinformatics at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, where he develops techniques that are used in medical research all over the world. He has also made a substantial contribution to statistical theory and practice throughout his career. More information about Terry and the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science can be found here (http://www.innovation.gov.au/science/InspiringAustralia/PrimeMinistersPrizesforScience/Recipients/2013PrizeRecipients/Pages/2013PrimeMinistersPrizeforScience.aspx). He will be speaking on

‘Big Data: where are the statisticians?’

Unless you have been living on another planet, you will have seen something about Big Data in the last few days, weeks and months. If you haven't dismissed it as largely hype, as some, perhaps many statisticians have, then it might occur to you that there ought to be a place for statisticians in all this activity. If you went further, and looked more closely, you will quickly conclude "apparently not." (The recently announced Centre of Excellence directed by Professor Peter Hall is a notable exception.)

In this talk, Professor Speed will give some more details to support these observations, speculate on the causes, and ask you whether we statisticians should change ourselves and then, possibly, change this situation so that statisticians really participate in Big Data. Or, perhaps we should do nothing, and hope it will pass.

No RSVP is required for the lecture.

The branch is also hosting a cocktail party after the lecture, at 7pm in the Upper East Dining Room, University House, University of Melbourne. This event is free for SSA members or $50 for non-members. Non-members are encouraged to take this opportunity to join the society in order to participate in this event at no cost; otherwise, a booking form can be requested by email.

Please RSVP to Sandy (sjclarke at unimelb.edu.au) by Tuesday 22nd April if you wish to attend the cocktail party.

Immediately prior to this lecture, we will be hosting the opening ceremony of the new Evan Williams Theatre in the Richard Berry Building at 5pm. Drinks and nibbles will be provided. No RSVP required.