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In August, at the 2023 Joint Statistical Meeting (JSM) in Toronto, Canada, George Mason’s statistics department teamed up with Georgetown’s data science department and George Washington’s statistics department to co-host the first Georges Reception. Students, alumni, faculty, and friends gathered to network with fellow DC area locals.
One of the largest events of its kind, the annual JSM offers “a unique opportunity for statisticians and data scientists in academia, industry, and government to exchange ideas and explore opportunities for collaboration,” per its 2023 website. It not only showcases how recent advances in statistics and data science interact with fields that use data to make decisions via technical sessions, but also it serves as a prime location for receptions hosted by universities, companies, interest groups, and professional organizations, for outreach, networking, and (at times) recruitment. The 2023 JSM, was hosted jointly by 13 major societies: The American Statistical Association, The Casualty Actuarial Society, The Caucus for Women in Statistics, The International Biometric Society (ENAR and WNAR), The International Chinese Statistical Association, The International Indian Statistical Association, The Institute of Mathematical Statistics, The International Society for Bayesian Analysis, The International Statistical Institute, The Korean International Statistical Society, The Royal Statistical Society, The Statistical Society of Canada and The Statistical Society of Australia.
The Georges’ Reception was one of 24 overlapping receptions for various groups. For example, while DC area academics and friends networked in Ballroom A of the Delta Hotel Toronto, major pharmaceutical companies’ employees gathered in Ballroom B.
“Our reception was fantastic,” Jiayang Sun, the chair of George Mason’s statistics department, said. Sun was happy that colleagues at George Washington University and Georgetown University were as enthusiastic as she was in organizing the reception, which featured food, drinks, and swag for attendees. The co-hosts reached out to alumni, faculty, and students to spread the word about the event. The result was a great turnout at the first collaborative event between the three institutions.
Sun noted that The Georges Reception was well attended, with faculty, students, alumni, and friends coming across the country. Sun was especially gratified to see her former Ph.D. students, as well as other faculty’s former students, who now work in prominent positions across the United States.
At the reception, each host shared what was special about their department. The food, drinks, and swag, such as branded pens and USB drives, were praised—thanks to collaboration between Mason's statistics department administrators, Amir Jasan and Muntaka Jabeen, and administrators from other two “Georges.”
Sun is excited about the possibility of future partnerships with the other “Georges.” “We talked among the three institutions about further collaboration, such as possible training grants, possible institutes, and other things,” she said.
