Mary Batcher to Become Chair of NISS Board of Trustees

Robert Rodriguez Named Vice Chair

Mary Batcher of Ernst and Young will become chair of the National Institute of Statistical Sciences (NISS) Board of Trustees July 1, 2015. Robert Rodriguez of SAS Institute has been named vice chair. Also serving on the executive committee will be ASA members Christy Chuang-Stein of Pfizer, Rebecca Doerge of Purdue, Susan Ellenberg of the University of Pennsylvania, Roger Hoerl of Union College, and Fritz Scheuren of NORC at the University of Chicago.

Ellenberg and Hoerl have served as chair and vice chair of the board since 2011. Alan Karr, director of NISS, said “It has been great for NISS to have Susan and Roger lead the board for the past three years, and it will be equally great to have Mary and Bob guiding the board in its efforts to help NISS move forward. Susan and Roger’s willingness to remain on the executive committee ensures continuity and allows NISS to continue to benefit from their wisdom.”

Chuang-Stein, Tim Hesterberg of Google, and Tommy Wright of the U.S. Census Bureau were elected to three-year terms on the NISS Board of Trustees starting July 1, 2014. Chuang-Stein and Wright are joining the board for the first time.

Batcher is executive director of quantitative economics and statistics at Ernst & Young in Washington, DC. She is responsible for all aspects of statistical sampling used in tax filings, including the technical merits of firm samples, review of IRS proposed samples, and review of samples developed by other firms for its audit clients. Batcher joined the board in July 2013.

Rodriguez is senior director of R&D for SAS Institute. He has long been active with the NISS affiliates program, of which SAS is one of the original members.

Chuang-Stein is vice president and head of the Statistical Research and Consulting Center at Pfizer. She was a founding editor and serves on the editorial board of Pharmaceutical Statistics. Chuang-Stein is a member of many collaborative working groups and has been promoting good statistical practice in the pharmaceutical industry for more than two decades.

Wright is chief of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Center for Statistical Research and Methodology. He earned a master’s degree and PhD in statistics from The Ohio State University. He also earned a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Knoxville College.