Outreach & initiatives

Here are some recent initiatives and activities of the Stat/CAM Committee on Community, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (CCEDI):

  • Data sets for the inclusive classroom.
    Data sets that are used for teaching applied statistics may involve sensitive topics such as health and mortality, academic performance, economic inequalities, or racial disparities. In 2021, CCEDI developed a faculty training resource to help instructors select, present, and discuss data sets in a way that fosters an inclusive and supportive classroom environment.
  • Teaching assistant training.
    New PhD students in the Statistics and the Computational and Applied Math programs usually begin working as TAs during their first or second year in the program. This new role involves many new challenges and responsibilities. In 2022, CCEDI developed a TA training session focused on helping new TAs work effectively in a team with the instructor, and communicate effectively with students to provide constructive support for their learning.
  • Community outreach and engagement.
    The Community Outreach and Engagement committee is a team within CCEDI that organizes outreach and community service events open to anyone from Stat/CAM. These events allow our students, faculty, and staff to give back to the greater community while also building connections within our department. See the COE page for more information
  • PhD student mentor program.
    Incoming PhD students in the Statistics program are paired with mentors, who are PhD students in their second year and beyond. The mentor's role is to welcome the new student to the department, provide support during the transition to PhD studies and to life at U. Chicago, and be available for advice and support throughout the first year.