ASA Defense and National Security Task Force

Wendy L. MartinezDATAWorks

April 2019

Objective• Discuss Final Report of the American Statistical

Association’s 2006 Defense and National Security (DNS) Task Force

• What can statisticians and data scientists contribute to defense, national security, aerospace?

• Goal: Ideas for an ASA 2020 task force• Have your cell phones on and ready. I want to hear

from you…

American Statistical Association – ASA

• www.amstat.org• Founded in 1839• International• Sections of ASA• ASA President initiatives

2006 ASA President• Sallie Keller was ASA president in 2006.• Task Force members

• Alyson Wilson, Chair• Dale Anderson• Glen Hartless• Wendy Martinez• Robert Mason• Carey Priebe• Ernest Seglie• James Thompson

Task Force Charter• To provide advice and a plan on how the statistical community can

better serve the needs of the nation in the areas of national defense and security;

• To identify ways in which those communities could have greater access to statistical expertise; and

• To identify ways in which the statistical community can learn about areas of concern in defense and security.

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Specific Tasks• Identify topics of mutual interest to the statistical, defense, and

security communities• Identify groups with which the statistical community could interact in

this area• Identify research opportunities for the statistical community that may

be of specific importance to the defense and security sector• Identify opportunities to encourage the interaction of the

communities

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General Recommendations• Provided 14 recommendations to…• ASA Presidents and Board of Directors

• Increase the visibility of statistics within the defense and national security community

• Provide better access to statistical expertise

• Section on Statistics in Defense and National Security (SDNS)• Identify research opportunities• Encourage interaction of the communities

Board Recommendations• ASA Presidents should meet with the leaders in

DoD research organizations (ONR, ARO, DARPA) and national security organizations (CIA, FBI)

• Recommend statistician appointment to Defense Science Board

• Include ethics issues related to defense and security work in ASA Ethics Guidelines

• Develop a Research Fellowship Program:• https://www.amstat.org/ASA/Your-Career/ASA-Fellowships-and-

Grants.aspx

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SDNS Recommendations• Poster session at the JSM – Joint Statistical Meetings – using DNS data set• Develop a Speakers Program• Host a series of workshops on topics to improve methodologies and

analyses• ACAS and QMDNS conferences => DATAWorks• Publicize research opportunities• Establish quarterly newsletter – articles of interest• Organize JSM sessions with international researchers• Establish list of peer reviewers

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Your ideas….• Should there be a similar ASA Task Force in 2020?• Should the aerospace community be added?• Go to survey• Different goals?• Different tasks?• Board recommendations – what to keep?• Section recommendations – what to keep?• We’ll go to a survey, but first some more ideas…

My ideas….• Annual Data Challenge Expo at Joint Statistical Meetings

(JSM)• Sponsored by Government, Stat Computing and Stat Graphics

Sections• Government data set bi-annually – partner with SDNS

• Create a Statistics in Aerospace Interest Group• Do not have to be ASA member

https://www.amstat.org/asa/membership/Sections-and-Interest-Groups

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Contact Information• martinezw@verizon.net; martinez.wendy@bls.gov• Office phone: 202-691-7400• Cell: 202-360-3588