The Council for Emerging and New Statisticians (CENS) was formed in 2012 by ENAR’s Regional Advisory Board (RAB) in 2012 to help ENAR better address the needs of all students and recent graduates. CENS is composed of 10 graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, or recent graduates, who are ENAR members from academia, government, or private industry. With the help of the RAB Liaison, CENS members collaborate to:
CENS seeks to advocate for the needs and concerns of students and recent graduates in collaboration with ENAR’s Regional Advisory Board. Through annual events at the ENAR Spring Meeting, CENS strives to promote the benefits of participating in the ENAR community, support the advancement of students and recent graduates, and facilitate stronger connections within the statistical community.
We will be recruiting new members March-April 2024! Each member is appointed to a 2-year term. Within CENS, three or four people are chosen to participate in the steering committee, which reports to the RAB chair. Members of the steering committee will serve an additional year on CENS. CENS members will meet in person yearly at the ENAR Spring Meeting and participate in conference calls throughout the year to plan events and address issues as they arise. If you are interested in joining CENS, please email enar.cens@gmail.com.
CENS Session at ENAR 2024: Paths to Success: Perspectives from Recruiters and Hiring Committees with a Focus on Fostering Inclusivity and Equity
Monday, March 11, 2024 | 3:45 PM – 5:30 PM
The transition from graduate school to navigate the unknowns of the job market is challenging for every new statistician. Proper training, efficient networking, and building a professional profile are some of the early initiatives to prepare graduate students for this change. Statisticians are trained in modeling and data analysis; however, the real-world job market requires skills beyond technical knowledge, including communication, presentation, leadership, and collaborative skills, as well as pitching one’s ideas and goals, and being able to advocate for oneself. As a group of emerging statisticians, CENS would like to fill this gap and invite academia and industry statisticians to discuss the unique challenges that early-career statisticians might face in a new work environment and how to deal with them.
This session aims to provide valuable guidance and insights to empower students on their career journey. With a special focus on the preparation of diversity statements as well as diverse work environment, this session recognizes the importance of fostering inclusivity and diversity in the statistics and biostatistics field. Attendees will gain practical strategies and tools to effectively communicate their experiences, perspectives, and commitment to diversity. By addressing the unique challenges faced by underrepresented groups, this session aims to create a supportive environment that promotes equity and equal opportunities.
Through interactive discussions and real-life examples, attendees will explore diverse career pathways, learn about industry expectations, and acquire skills to effectively market themselves. Our panel includes both academic and industry statisticians who have served on hiring committees. Their valuable insights and mentoring guidance will be useful for newly emerging statisticians for navigating the job market successfully.
Topics to be discussed include, but are not limited to, crafting an effective diversity statement, navigating funding opportunities, exploring the similarities and differences between industry and academia jobs, perspectives of recruiters or hiring committees, what questions should be prepared in an interview, and how to prepare for an interview. Panelists will share their experiences and provide guidance. We anticipate attendees will leave this session equipped with tools to succeed in their initial job search and be better informed about the opportunities to achieve their career goals.
ENAR Networking Mixer
Monday, March 11, 2024 | 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM (location TBD)
All students and recent graduates are invited to attend the CENS Networking Mixer. Registration is not required—so please plan to attend!
ENAR Networking Lunch
Tuesday, March 12, 2024 | 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM at local restaurants.
CENS will organize lunches for groups of attendees who share similar interests. The goal is to help attendees meet and network with each other. Although CENS will help to coordinate lunch at local restaurants, please note that lunch is at your own expense and CENS will not be able to cater to special dietary requirements. Closer to the meeting time, CENS will email all attendees interested in this networking event to request information to set up the groups and the lunch reservations.
Participants meet at the CENS table in the Exhibition Hall at 12:15 PM before walking with their assigned group to a nearby restaurant for networking and lunch! Participation is open to all meeting attendees. If you would like to participate, please select the CENS lunch option on the registration form or email CENS at enar.cens@gmail.com.
RAB Liaison: Lucy D'Agostino McGowan, Wake Forest University
Steering committee 2023-2024
Daniel Mork, Harvard University (co-chair)
Arinjita Bhattacharyya, Merck (co-chair)
Siddhesh Kulkarni, Bristol Meyers Squibb
Summer Zhang, University of Chicago
CENS Members
Melissa Jay, University of Alabama Birmingham
Tianyi Sun, Vanderbilt University
Ziqiao Wang, Johns Hopkins University
Carly Lupton Branter, Johns Hopkins University
Gary Hettinger, University of Pennsylvania
Robert A. Tumasian, FDA
If anyone has any questions or comments for CENS, please contact us at enar.cens@gmail.com. Don’t forget to "Like" us on Facebook and join our LinkedIn group.