News

Mariah Ogunsola has goals of getting a Ph.D. in psychology and recently added a statitics minor in order elevate her research skills. She is a sophomore psychology major with statistics minor. 

Emma Engelbert thought she was going to become an engineer at Iowa State University, but her Advanced Placement (AP) statistics teacher encouraged her to think about statistics instead.

Srika Raja became interested in majoring in statistics after finding COVID-19 graphs, analysis, and predictive modeling interesting.

The Department of Statistics welcomed Assistant Professor Xiang Ji on January 1, 2026. Ji was drawn to Iowa State by the department's long and strong history of academic leadership in the field of statistics.

Derek Thada graduated in spring 2020 as a statistics and applied mathematics double major. He arrived at Iowa State University knowing he wanted to study mathematics.

Evelyn Aron knew she had found her future major during an introductory statistics course at Iowa State. After one statistics course she decided to major in statistics.  

Susan VanderPlas, graduate alumna of the statistics department, received the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award

The Department of Statistics gathered for its annual holiday party on December 16, bringing together faculty, staff, and students to celebrate the season, finals week, and the close of the fall semester.

The Department of Statistics came together this holiday season to support Youth and Shelter Services (YSS) Story County through the Giving Tree program, providing essential items and gifts for local families in need.

The Department of Statistics is offering multiple opportunities for graduate students to develop their statistical skills during spring 2026 through consulting services and introductory training.

The Department of Statistics hosted a hot chocolate and cookie event for undergraduate students in December, offering a sweet study break before final exams.

The department has welcomed tenure-track assistant professors in recent years. Learn more about their research and teaching.

The following grants have been awarded to Department of Statistics faculty, who are serving as principal investigators (PI).

Two statistics graduate students have received Teaching Excellence Awards (TEX Awards) this year. These awards recognize the outstanding teaching achievements of Sabrina Morse and Yanqi Zhang.

Abby Stanek (rhymes with sonic) (she/hers) joined the Department of Statistics as a communications specialist in November 2025.

The Department of Statistics hosted a panel discussion on October 24, 2025, featuring distinguished alumni Doug Jensen and Maria Thompson.

Doug Jensen, a 2002 graduate with degrees in journalism and mass communication and statistics, received the Department of Statistics Outstanding Alumni Award on October 23, 2025.

Iowa State University Provost Jason Keith visited the Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE) on October 6, 2025.

Distinguished Professor Alicia Carriquiry has been named the inaugural Patricia S. Conn Professor of Statistics, an endowed professorship established to honor the legacy of Patricia S. Conn, a 1969 Iowa State statistics Ph.D.