Colorado State University Professor Named Fellow in the Prestigious American Statistical Association

A Colorado State University professor recently was named a Fellow of the American Statistical Association, the world’s leading statistical science organization and the second oldest professional society in the United States. Richard A. Davis, professor and chair of the Department of Statistics at Colorado State, will be formally presented with ASA’s highest honor in New York City on August 13, 2002, at the international organization’s annual awards ceremony.

"The College of Natural Sciences is extremely proud that one of its outstanding professors and leaders has been recognized for his contributions to the statistics profession," said Rick Miranda, dean of the College of Natural Sciences. "We have been well aware for some time of professor Davis’ excellent work, and it is gratifying to see that his career is also appreciated by his international peers."

American Statistical Association members annually nominate their most exceptional peers as fellows of the association and this year 48 of the organization’s 16,000 members will be accorded the recognition. The designation of fellow is a superlative honor in the association and signifies an individual’s outstanding service and leadership in the field of statistical science. Fellows must have an established reputation and have made a significant contribution to statistical work.

According to the ASA, Davis was named a fellow specifically for his contributions to time series analysis and extreme-value theory and their applications, and for outstanding contributions to the profession through editorial, educational and administrative efforts.

Davis began at Colorado State as an assistant professor in 1981 and has served as department chair since 1997. He has also held esteemed visiting appointments at several top institutions including the Center for Stochastic Processes at the University of North Carolina, the University of California at San Diego, the University of New South Wales and the Melbourne Institute of Technology. Davis earned his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees at the University of California – San Diego in 1974 and 1979 respectively.

Davis is also a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics and an elected member of the International Statistical Institute. In 1998, he won the Koopmans Prize for Econometric Theory. Davis is co-author of the best selling books "Time Series: Theory and Methods" and "Introduction to Time Series and Forecasting" as well as the time series analysis computer software package ITSM 2000. Recently, with colleagues in the statistics department, he was awarded a $3 million EPA grant, called STARMAP, to improve water quality assessments and address environmental problems related to water resources.

The ASA is a scientific and educational society founded in 1839 to promote excellence in the application of statistical science across the wealth of human endeavor. The international association strives to promote excellence in statistics in its application to the frontiers of science, from biological to socio-economic to physical sciences.

"The Association can be extremely proud of the vast range of contributions the new fellows have made to the national and international society at large," said Rich Allen, chair of the ASA Committee on Fellows.

For additional information on the fellows program visit the ASA Web site at www.amstat.org/fellows.