The world’s most urgent challenges are no longer held back by a shortage of data. They’re limited by our capacity to understand the mountains of information we generate every day. From climate modeling and environmental policy to biomedical research and artificial intelligence, data now underpins nearly every scientific and societal challenge. Preparing students for today’s careers, no matter the field, now requires fluency in data. It requires graduates who can move confidently between disciplines, translate complex analysis into clear decisions and understand the ethical responsibility that comes with influence.
This year’s research honorees are advancing knowledge at the frontiers of statistics, microbiome science and astrophysics, with discoveries that shape public health, global policy and our understanding of the universe. Their scholarship reflects both international impact and a deep commitment to mentoring, collaboration and research excellence at Oregon State.
In the inaugural Val Nereo Lecture, presented by the Dept. of Statistics, UCSB professor Annie Qu discusses the challenges associated with multi-modal datasets, proposing a a novel Representation Retrieval (R2) framework.
What do ocean currents, baseball statistics and insect populations have in common? These real-world systems have all become living datasets — transformed by students into interactive apps and digital stories in a new course in data visualization.
Science communication is a raging passion for Heather Kitada Smalley. From interactive statistics and data science workshops to impressive research related to archeology, she demonstrates the impact of data in the real world and inspires students of all ages.
As the head of the Department of Statistics, Lan Xue is steering a major expansion with the department’s first undergraduate degree, while also prioritizing mentorship and research.
In its first offering, ST 437: Data Visualization challenged students to transform data into interactive, engaging stories. From sports analytics to molecular biology, students applied new skills to projects reflecting their own interests — culminating in a showcase of creative, hands-on work that brought complex data to life.
Artificial intelligence is transforming the world—but how did we get here, and where are we going next? Join us to hear Rachel Ward, an applied mathematician known for her work on machine learning, optimization and signal processing from the University of Texas at Austin, share a talk titled, “From bits to bots: a mathematical perspective on generative AI.” Whether you're studying STEM, already immersed in the field, curious about AI, or passionate about the future of technology, this lecture offers a compelling look at the science and mathematical principles behind the algorithms—and the opportunities ahead.
For statistics students at Oregon State University, it's not unheard of to land a job after attending a conference. That’s how Oregon State alumna Chenyang Duan (Ph.D. Statistics, ‘23) landed a full-time position as senior statistician at AbbVie, one of the top pharmaceutical companies in the world.
