This year’s Summer Institute of Applied Statistics was a huge success, thanks to spatial data expert Dr. Sudipto Banerjee.
From June 17 to 19, Banerjee lectured on Bayesian hierarchical models as applied to spatial statistics.
“Really, there was something for everyone that attended,” said statistics professor William Christensen. “There was something that people could gather from very early on as a statistician to materials that challenged the most experienced modelers in the room.”
Banerjee is the 40th presenter at the Summer Institute of Applied Statistics, a program that for decades has attracted top statisticians to come speak to BYU faculty and all interested.
“Many of our presenters are acknowledged to be the very best in their fields,” said statistics professor and associate chair Gilbert Fellingham. “[Dr. Banerjee] is certainly among the top two or three in spatial statistics in the country.”
During the three days of workshops, Banerjee covered classic modeling techniques as well some of his own techniques, many of which Christensen is planning on using in his own research.
“Some of the things that were really helpful for me were these hybrid methods that he developed,” Christensen said. “[They were] relatively easy to implement but relatively sophisticated exploratory tools.”
Not only is Banerjee a brilliant statistician—he is also a superb teacher.
“He has a very unpretentious, un-defensive approach to questions and issues,” Christensen said. “He really welcomes when people push back on things because he is confident enough . . . that he thrives on push-back and questions and controversies. He wants to explore those challenging areas.”
The Summer Institute of Applied Statistics is a great opportunity to learn from the best of the best; it is also a good time to network.
“We . . . invite people from around campus and around the country, so we have people from all over,” Fellingham said. “We have an opportunity . . . to meet them and make connections for our students. One of the things Dr. Banerjee said before he left was that he was hoping we’ll have some of our masters students apply to the doctoral program at UCLA.”
After 40 years of success, the Department of Statistics looks forward to the next Summer Institute of Applied Statistics in 2016.
“It’s been a very successful ongoing program to connect BYU statistics to the statistics community around the country and literally around the world,” Fellingham said.
Thanks go to Banerjee for taking the time to share with BYU students and faculty his expertise on spatial data.
“Dr. Banerjee did a fabulous job. It was a wonderful presentation,” Fellingham said. “He is a very good presenter, and I think he had a really good time. He wrote back, thanking everybody for the time he had. He is a very gracious man, a real gentleman.”