Steven Levitt, Author of Freakonomics,
Named Chicago ASA Statistical Advocate of the Year
Award  Luncheon June 23

Created in 2001, the award recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of those who throughout their career have successfully advocated appropriate and effective uses of statistics in business and the public sector.

Professor Levitt’s success at raising the profile of fact-based analysis is represented in the popular sphere by his best-selling book Freakonomics and by a continuing stream of popular writing in the New York Times, Slate and other outlets, and a list of academic articles which is outstanding in both its breadth and depth.

According to the Financial Times …

Other economists may labour in obscurity over inflation rates and fiscal drag. Only Levitt has figured out how sumo wrestlers throw games to improve their tournament rankings; why drug dealers live with their mothers; how estate agents cheat their clients and which school teachers fiddle exam results to meet test standards. Why?

”Because it’s fun,” he says. “The kind of problems I like are problems which look hard but are easy. Finding cheaters often has that characteristic. I mean, your reaction is, how in the world am I going to figure out if sumo wrestlers are cheating? But cheating and incentives are so closely tied together that, by and large, if you can learn the incentives and then find someone who’s keeping score... “ Then it’s easy, if you’re Steven Levitt.

He was named named to Time Magazine’s list of 100 people who shape our lives. Levitt was singled out for his ability to think outside the box (“way, way outside” said Time). Levitt has gained fame for taking a unique look at the intersection of economics and areas of human behavior that don’t normally appear to have anything in common.

Read Levitt’s profile in Time written by Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Blink, at

http://www-news.uchicago.edu/citations/06/060508.levitt-time.html

The Harry V. Roberts Statistical Advocate Award honors Chicago ASA Fellow and University of Chicago professor Harry V. Roberts, an exemplar of respect for data and fact-based, quantitative reasoning in multiple fields of application spanning business, government, academia and personal life. During his long and distinguished career Harry had a significant impact on the practice and teaching of statistics and in areas such as finance, marketing, statistical software, quality management, affirmative action, government and public policy, and healthcare.
 

JOIN US AT THE AWARD LUNCHEON FRIDAY, JUNE 23

Please join us and honor Professor Levitt and the memory of Harry Roberts at this year’s award luncheon.

The award will be presented by Chicago ASA during the luncheon program of this year’s 20th Anniversary conference on Making Statistics More Effective in Schools and Business, jointly sponsored by Chicago ASA, MSMSSB, and the business schools of the Universities of Chicago and Georgia.

Complete information on the conference is available at

http://www.chicagogsb.edu/msmesb

The luncheon will be held at the University of Chicago GSB’s new Hyde Park Center at 5807. S. Woodlawn Avenue (Woodlawn & 58th Street), Chicago IL 60037.

Luncheon-only attendance will be available for $50.

A registration form is attached to this e-mail, and is also available at http://www.chicagogsb.edu/msmesb/rsvp.aspx
 

ABOUT THE MSMESB CONFERENCE

Twenty years after the founding of MSMESB, the conference returns to its original host site for an event which will provide participants with up-to-date tools and ideas that can be readily utilized in their organizations.

Sessions will include:

 

• Keynote panel on statistical advocacy featuring Gerry Hahn, GE retired, and Fritz Scheuren, NORC and Past President of ASA both past winners of the Chicago ASA Chapter Harry V. Roberts Statistical Advocate of the Year Award.


• Reviews of recent research developments that are particularly relevant to business statisticians such as Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods


• Active learning in the classrooms of universities and business training centers and the development of assessment methods that aid learning and contribute to the improvement of teaching and training.


• Capstone panel on how to make statistics more effective in schools and business organizations.


• Speakers including George Tiao, Rob McCulloch, Gerry Hahn, Fritz Scheuren, Mark Berenson, Richard Rogers, Bernie Sergesketter, and George Easton.

The conference will also feature invited speaker sessions on personal quality, consulting, expert testimony, and ethics.

Complete details on this one-day conference, including nearby, low-cost lodging suggestions for out-of-town participants are available for download in the following pdf files

Brochure covers
Brochure inside pages
Registration form
Conference flyer

as well as at the conference web site:

http://www.chicagogsb.edu/msmesb

Agenda and speaker list:

http://www.chicagogsb.edu/msmesb/panels.aspx