Welcome to the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences’ 2nd annual newsletter.
CSSS turned 25 this year! We held a two-day celebration conference in May 2024. It was wonderful to see so many faculty, students and especially our alumni joining us!
This newsletter features a photo of all five CSSS Directors, from left to right: Thomas Richardson (2009-2014), Elena Erosheva (2022-present), Adrian Raftery (Founding Director, 1999-2009), Katherine Stovel (2014-2017) and Darryl Holman (2017-2022). Scroll down to view other photos and read more about the 25th anniversary conference.
The celebration was a bittersweet occasion for us as we also said goodbye to two former Directors of CSSS, Professors Adrian Raftery and Katherine Stovel, who retired from UW teaching over the summer. Professors Raftery and Stovel were each influential and instrumental to the success of the Center in their own way. We are immensely grateful for their contributions over the years!
This Fall 2024, we welcomed three new Blalock Fellows, joining the School of Nursing, the Department of Statistics, and the Department of Urban Design & Planning. Read about their interests here. We are proud to contribute to the recruitment of students with a passion for cutting-edge quantitative social science research to the University of Washington’s graduate programs.
As of Spring 2024, 322 social science and statistics doctoral students have completed CSSS’ PhD Tracks. It was inspiring to see the remarkable success of our alumni who were able to join us for the anniversary. This CSSS at a glance fact sheet highlights key points about our graduate education.
I invite you to stay connected with CSSS and explore how we might support your work, or join our interdisciplinary seminars on Wednesdays at 12:30 — online or in-person. For updates on events, news, and opportunities through CSSS, sign up for our weekly seminar mailing list.
Elena Erosheva
Director, Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences
Alumni Spotlights: Where are they now?
- John Ahlquist: Statistics for cross-disciplinary research & innovation.
Now Associate Dean and Professor at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California San Diego, hear about John's career trajectory and how he built his confidence in statistics. - Sabrina Bonaparte: Pursuing a path in industry & volunteering.
As a Business Program Manager at Microsoft and non-profit volunteer, hear about how Sabrina transitioned into work outside academia, while leveraging her statistics training. - Mark Wheldon: Crafting technical solutions to real-world problems.
Now a Population Affairs Officer at the United Nations, Mark shares about how his life-long commitment to statistics led him to CSSS and unexpected career opportunities.
Center Highlights
- CSSS 25th Anniversary Celebration
The two-day conference featured visiting and local friends, alumni, and scholars. We are thankful that so many people could join us for the celebration, including many who have contributed significantly to our Center over the past 25 years. - Adrian Raftery's Career Celebration
CSSS is grateful to Professor Adrian Raftery for his vision and dedication in establishing and directing the Center. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors and look forward to his continued contributions to the field!
KEEP IN TOUCH!
- If you have news about an alumni or friend of the Center that you would like to share, reach out to us at csss@uw.edu.
- Gifts to the CSSS discretionary fund provide unrestricted support that can be directed where it’s needed more.
- For more frequent updates on events, news, and opportunities through CSSS, sign up for our weekly seminar mailing list.
