Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

2015 SCC-13 Meeting Agenda; Joint meeting with NCC-170 University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico Technical Program Thursday, June 25, 2015 8:00-8:30 Registration 8:30-8:45 a.m. Welcome and Introduction (welcome address to be delivered by Dr. John Fernandez Van Cleve, Chancellor, UPR) 8:45-9:30 a.m. “A glimpse of GLMMIX (with a peek at R) for use in horticultural research” Walter Stroup and Ellen Paparozzi, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 9:30-10:00 a.m. “Statistical issues in a horticultural science journal: misunderstanding and misapplication of fundamental concepts” Matthew Kramer, USDA Agricultural Research Service Walter Stroup, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 10:00-10:30 a.m. Morning Break 10:30-11:00 a.m. “A glimpse inside the random forest black box” Dan Nettleton, Iowa State University 11:00-11:30 “Investigating differences in sleep properties between Alzheimer’s and normal fruit flies” Gayla Olbricht, Missouri University of Science and Technology 11:30-12:00 “Assessing inter-observer agreement for compositional data” Bruce Craig & Ningning Chen, Purdue University Sameera Wijayawardana, Eli Lilly 12:00-1:30 p.m. Lunch Break 1:30-2:00 p.m. “Mixed and generalized models in JMP” Elizabeth Claassen, SAS Institute Inc. 2:00-2:30 p.m. “Inference issues related to the two sample test for means of beta distributions” Edward Gbur and Kevin Thompson, University of Arkansas 2:30-3:00 p.m. Afternoon Break – USSES Business meeting 3:00-3:30 p.m. “The bivariate null kernel method for LD-based QTL mapping” John Stevens, Utah State University 3:30-4:00 p.m. “Application of non-linear mixed models to combine information from different sources to estimate site index curves in forestry studies” Raúl E. Macchiavelli, University of Puerto Rico 4:00-4:30 Group Discussion/Adjournment SCC-13 Business Meeting: Reports: University of Georgia The Griffin Campus Assistant Dean retired after 27 years and the search for a replacement is ongoing. The position was reclassified as Assistant Provost and Director and will be responsible for the research and teaching programs. While there is a strong desire to increase enrollments and build a sustainable academic program, agriculture research constitutes about ninety percent of Griffin Campus activities. Xuelin Luo was hired to provide statistical support at the Tifton Campus. This position had been vacant since (I think) 2006. Xuelin has an MA in statistics from the University of Missouri – Columbia. UGA faculty and staff will receive raises for fiscal year 2015 / 2016. The University System Board of Regents allowed institutions to supplement legislative funds with internal funds to try and keep salaries competitive with peer institutions. Arkansas After a second year of a failed search for a non-tenure track assistant professor the AGST Lab hopes to eventually hire a third person. There has been a 1.25% raises to all non-classified staff for 2015/2016. Clemson After a year of a failed search, we successfully hired a candidate in the Applied Statistics subfaculty. The new president and provost are discussing reorganization plans that should become public before the next academic year. The Department of Mathematical Sciences will likely be moved to a College of Arts and Sciences or a College of Sciences (we currently reside in the College of Engineering and Sciences). There has been no word on raises for 2015/2016. USDA ARS Southeast Area USDA/ARS reorganized this past year to have 5 areas instead of 9. I am now part of the Southeast area which includes AR,MS,TN,LA,AL,GA,FL ,NC,SC & Puerto Rico. The other Statistician for my area is Zaid Abdo (located in Athens, GA) and he will be leaving ARS at the end of July. We will be looking to fill his position and the announcement for the position should be made in August or September. Statisticians in Northeast area are Bryan Vinyard, Matt Kramer & Mary Camp; Midwest Area is Deb Palmquist; Plains area are Mark West, Kathy Yeater & Sara Duke; Pacific West Area is Bruce Mackey. University of Maryland 1) Budget cuts continues. 2) Biometrics program is becoming weaker and weaker 3) Lost my TA to teach the Experimental design course that was taught by three faculties and two TAs 4) Tenure and promotion for applied statisticians is becoming harder and harder Bahram Meeting next year to be held jointly with NCC-170 group in Maryland. The preferred time of the event is June 23-24, 2015. Bahram Momen is the local chair and will work with Julia Sharp and the NCC-170 program chair. Meeting in 2017 has not been planned. (NCC-170 group will tentatively be in Elk River, MN) Meeting in 2018 will tentatively be in Arkansas.