Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The 2005 SCC13, University Statisticians of Southern Experiment Stations (USSES) meeting was hosted by Marcia Gumpertz, Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University and held June 26  28, 2005 at the Yonahlosee Resort in Blowing Rock, NC. The meeting agenda focused on microarray experiments and microarray data analysis using mixed models, and a Bayesian approach in the analysis of a microarray experiment. In addition representatives from SAS Institute made presentations on SAS Analytics and Business Intelligence and on new and evolving procedures in SAS/STAT software. The meeting agenda was: SUNDAY, JUNE 26 8-10 pm: Dessert Reception MONDAY, JUNE 27 9:00-10:15 am: Microarray experiment design and data analysis, presented by Jason Osborne (NCSU Statistics) 10:30-12:00: Microarray data analysis, presented by Russ Wolfinger (SAS Institute) 1:30-3:30 pm: Introduction to Bayesian concepts and Bayesian hierarchical models, presented by Fang Chen (SAS Institute) 4:00-5:00 pm: Bayesian models and microarray data, presented by Russ Wolfinger (SAS Institute) TUESDAY, JUNE 28 9-10:30 am: What's new is SAS Analytics and SAS Business Intelligence Platform, presented by Herb Kirk (SAS Institute) followed immediately by GLIMMIX, QUANTREG, QLIM, ENTROPY, High Performance Forecasting presented by Bob Lucas, (SAS Institute) 11-12 noon: Business meeting. adjourn Brief Minutes of the Business Meeting: The first order of business was to make station reports from the represented states. Though a number of states reported that faculty raises had been received the last year and that several anticipated raises in the coming year, most, if not all states indicated that Experiment Station positions for statistical consulting and collaborative research are being lost as a result of attrition (faculty leaving the university or retiring and vacant positions not being filled and lost). This overall decline in Experiment Station statisticians was viewed as very serious and could well have negative consequences for agricultural research and its competitiveness for grant dollars. It was also noted that the model of free statistical consulting often provided through Experiment Stations may begin to be change to a fee for services operation at some units. The second order of business was to arrange for a meeting site in 2006. Paul Cornelius (KY) agreed to host the 2006 meeting in Lexington, KY with a time frame of from June to mid-July with late June being most likely. Arnold Saxton (TN), Mark Payton (OK), and Barry Moser (LA) agreed to serve as a program committee to help arrange the 2006 meeting program. Paul indicated that his wife would be interested in helping with spousal activities arrangements. The 2007 meeting will be a joint meeting with the NCR-170 group with it being their turn to host the meeting. The NCR-170 group is meeting in Fort Collins, CO later in 2005. No plans were set for 2008 and later [it is noted that of current attendees Tennessee and Georgia have not hosted in a while]. Kenneth Koonce, Administrative Advisor (LA) suggested that the group consider a regional project on statistical genomics, including design and analysis of microarray experiments. Recent USSES meetings have focused on this general topic and it encompasses a lot of the modern statistical tools that are in general demand for consulting statisticians including generalized linear and non-linear mixed models, Bayesian methods, spatial data analysis, data mining and multivariate methods, multiplicity in testing, statistical graphics, and experimental design. A regional project would help USSES members better synthesize the vast statistical knowledge being generated in these areas and would help to direct them in approaches most useful for experiments that members are likely to encounter. Marcia Gumpertz (NC) was thanked by the USSES attendees for hosting the meeting and providing us with an excellent program and meeting facilities. The meeting adjourned at 11:40a.m. On the Monday prior to the business meeting held on Tuesday, Larry Miller, Administrative Advisor (USDA) discussed proposals that were deliberated on in Washington concerning changes to formula funding for the Experiment Stations that would result in a competitive grants program. A lot of this direction comes from OMB where they see a grants program as providing much more oversight and accountability to USDA than the current formula funding approach. There was also concern raised about the reduced number of agricultural scientists seeking support from statisticians, and the reduced number of statisticians to perform the consulting work. A question posed was how to financially support statistical consulting at Experiment Stations? How would such support be phased in over a 2-year time frame? Submitted by: E. Barry Moser, Department of Experimental Statistics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-5606