International Day Of Women in Statistics and Data Science: Full Schedule

Registration opens August 15th at www.idwsds.org.

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

12:00 UTC

S307 - Creating Alliances through a Data Feminism Community of Practice

Tuesday October 6, 2026 12:00 - 13:00 UTC

How has the Global Data Feminism Community of Practice (DFCoP) supported data practitioners and statisticians in leading inclusive practices in data collection and uptake? This question will guide the discussion in this session, which will feature 4 of the more than 150 members of the DFCoP. This session will introduce the DFCoP as a Global Majority international community, where practitioners, statisticians, researchers, and civil society from all around the world exchange experiences and knowledge on how to put data feminism into practice. The session will begin by contextualizing the community and speakers’ strategic work in the fields of statistics and data feminism; as well as the practical ways in which members are co-creating a new network to continue the dialogue around feminist data practices and strengthen knowledge exchange. The session will then focus on the unique experiences of community members, including statisticians and project implementers. They will share some of their learnings and experiences on how they are applying data feminism into their statistical and data work. During the session, we will highlight the value of communities of practice like the DFCoP, and how members are not only practicing data feminism, but also collectively pushing the boundaries of this sector to advance equitable and accurate data practices. The session will conclude with a call to action, inviting attendees to join the community.

Speakers

Dr. Lorena Fuentes

Co-founder, Ladysmith Collective

Lorena’s research explores how different types of data shape visibility and action in development, with a focus on gender-related violence. Currently, she is co-authouring a book about the ‘gender data revolution’ with her co-founder and feminist-thought-partner-in-crime, Dr... Read More →

Lucine Kalantaryan

Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia (ARMSTAT)

Lucine Kalantaryan is the Head of the Labor Statistics Division and Gender Statistics Focal Point at the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia (ARMSTAT), where she has coordinated the production and development of official statistics since 2002. An economist by training... Read More →

Anahit Simonyan

GIZ Armenia

Anahit Simonyan is a feminist researcher and human rights practitioner based in Armenia, with over 10 years of experience in combating gender-based violence and discrimination. Throughout her work she has cooperated with numerous local and international organizations and networks... Read More →

Eleonora Sironi

Researcher, Ladysmith Collective

Eleonora’s research focuses on the intersections between gender, technology, and digitization. She brings cross-sectoral experience through work with NGOs like Doctors Without Borders and tech start-ups like VIOLA, an app focused on addressing gender-based violence. As a researcher... Read More →

Chairs/Hosts

Karine Simonyan

Organizers

Karine Simonyan

Tuesday October 6, 2026 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
Zoom Room #3

Invited Panel, Other

Country Armenia
Session ID 306

14:00 UTC

S212 - Career Perspectives from Industry in the U.S.

Tuesday October 6, 2026 14:00 - 15:00 UTC

Zoom Room #2

This session will feature three 10-minute presentations from women working across industry sectors, including transportation, pharmaceuticals, and government research. Speakers will share insights into their career paths, current roles, and day-to-day responsibilities. The presentations will be followed by a moderated discussion exploring key topics such as career progression, mentorship, opportunities for growth, and leadership, offering attendees practical perspectives on navigating and advancing in the field of statistics and data science.

Speakers

Sonali Garg

Xilio Therapeutics

Sonali Garg is an accomplished statistical programming leader with nearly 20 years of experience across the pharma, biotech, and CRO industries. She holds a graduate degree in biostatistics and an undergraduate degree in statistics.

Throughout her career, Sonali has guided numerous compounds through complex global submission, approval, and post-approval processes. She has prepared multiple successful submissions to the FDA and EMA, navigated regulatory audits, and worked directly with regulators and senior management... Read More →

Christian Douglas

RTI International

Dr. Christian E. Douglas is a Senior Research Statistician at RTI International with more than 14 years of experience supporting clinical trials and large-scale observational studies. Her expertise includes longitudinal data analysis, adaptive trial design, power and sample size estimation... Read More →

Ashley Asmus

RSG Inc.

Ashley Asmus is a researcher, project manager, and data scientist with over nine years of experience working with complex datasets, including six years focused on travel survey data in both public and private sectors. Prior to joining RSG Inc., she served as lead researcher and deputy... Read More →

Chairs/Hosts

Sophie Salem

Statistician, RTI International

Sophie Salem is an early career statistician at RTI International. She provides statistical support on various large-scale federally funded surveys, including the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the National Dementia Workforce Study. She has undergraduate research... Read More →

Organizers

Cynthia Bland

Past Past President, CWS; RTI

I'm the Past Past President of CWS and also a survey statistician and center director at RTI International. I helped start a CWS mentoring initiative called Flash Mentoring and I support our emergent needs mentoring. Both require CWS membership, which is free to students. Please consider... Read More →

Tuesday October 6, 2026 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
Zoom Room #2

Invited Panel, Career or Professional Development Session

Country United States
Session ID 212

17:00 UTC

S214 - Beyond Automation: Using Generative AI to Elevate Critical Thinking, Personalization, Engagement, and Analytics Instruction

Tuesday October 6, 2026 17:00 - 18:00 UTC

Zoom Room #2

Generative AI is rapidly reshaping the landscape of statistics and business analytics education, offering new opportunities to improve course design, assignment development, and feedback processes. This panel will share practical strategies for integrating AI into teaching workflows while maintaining statistical rigor and fostering student understanding.

We highlight approaches for AI-assisted case and assignment design, including adaptive scenarios in which students pose questions, request instructor-controlled synthetic data, and iteratively refine their analyses. These methods promote deeper engagement with modeling choices, assumptions, and critical thinking-core goals of statistics education.

The panel also demonstrates how AI can support assessment and feedback, from automated classwide test analysis to personalized guidance that helps students interpret results and correct misconceptions.

Attendees will leave with concrete examples, implementation tips, and considerations for responsible use of AI tools in statistics and business analytics classrooms.

Speakers

George Reckk

Assoc. Prof. of Practice, Babson College

Mr. Recck has taught at Babson College since 1984. Prior to that, Mr. Recck worked his way toward his undergraduate and MBA degrees from Babson while working in Babson's Computer Center. After receiving his MBA from Babson in 1984, Mr. Recck was promoted to Director of Academic Computer... Read More →

John Draper

The Ohio State University

John Draper is an Associate Professor of Clinical Operations and Business Analytics in the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. He has a PhD and MS in statistics from Ohio State as well as BS degrees in mathematics and statistics from Florida State University... Read More →

Ismael Talke

The Ohio State University

Ismael Talke is a Senior Lecturer in the Management Science Department. He joined Fisher in 2019 after serving as a visiting faculty at Miami University Ohio, department of Information Systems and Analytics, where he taught undergraduate Business Analytics, Statistics, and Business... Read More →

Cheryl Edelmann

Senior Lecturer, University of Dayton

Cheryl Edelmann is a professor of Business Analytics in the Department of MIS, OSC, and Business Analytics at the University of Dayton. Cheryl educates future business professionals in the area of statistics, helping them develop the skills needed to succeed in today’s data-driven... Read More →

Chairs/Hosts

Jessica Kohlschmidt

Caucus for Women in Statistics and Data Science

Dr. Jessica K. Kohlschmidt is a distinguished biostatistician, educator, and leader in the statistical community. A first-generation college student, her early passion for math and teaching evolved into a dedicated career in statistics after discovering its real-world applications... Read More →

Organizers

Jessica Kohlschmidt

Caucus for Women in Statistics and Data Science

Tuesday October 6, 2026 17:00 - 18:00 UTC
Zoom Room #2

Invited Panel, Career or Professional Development Session

Country United States
Session ID 214

20:00 UTC

S215 - Frontiers in Statistical Modeling: High-Impact Doctoral Research from Argentina (Fronteras en la Modelización Estadística: Investigaciones Doctorales de Alto Impacto desde Argentina )

Tuesday October 6, 2026 20:00 - 21:00 UTC

Zoom Room #2

Statistical training in Argentina is characterized by quantitative rigor and methodological innovation. Postgraduate programs of excellence, like the PhD in Statistics at the Universidad Nacional de Rosario, build this foundation. This session showcases this training through four doctoral theses that propose cutting-edge solutions for high dimensionality, spatial dependence, incomplete data, and outliers.
Attendees will learn about:
Associative Mapping: Verónica Lac Prugent combines Multivariate Elastic Net models to address quantitative and qualitative responses in genetic resources, ensuring the empirical robustness of associations.
Multi-Environment Trials: Julia Angelini addresses the limitations of the Sites Regression (SREG) model by proposing an Expectation-Maximization (EM) based imputation method and robust variants to reduce the impact of outliers.
Spatial Prediction: Mariel Lovatto introduces a semiparametric spatial autoregressive model that captures spatial dependence without relying on strict parametric covariance, resulting in improved predictive performance.
Zero-Inflated Data: María José Llop introduces a robust EM-type estimation approach for the partially linear zero-inflated Poisson (PLZIP) regression model, effectively handling extreme observations in complex relationships.
This panel highlights the level of Argentine science and its capacity to generate statistical knowledge with global impact.

Speakers

Verónica Patricia Lac Prugent

National University of Comahue (Universidad Nacional del Comahue), Argentina

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Statistics, a Specialization in Epidemiology, and is a PhD in Statistics. She works as a Professor and researcher in the Department of Statistics at the Faculty of Economics and Administration of the Universidad Nacional del Comahue, where she also... Read More →

Julia Angelini

Facultad de ciencias económicas y estadística, Facultad de Cs. Económicas y Estadística, Universidad Nacional de Rosario

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Statistics, a Specialization in Bioinformatics, and a PhD in Statistics. She serves as a Professor at the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Statistics of the Universidad Nacional de Rosario and as a senior advanced data scientist at NaranjaX. Currently... Read More →

Mariel Lovatto

Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) - CONICET

She holds a degree in Mathematics from the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, and a Master's and a PhD in Statistics from the Universidad Nacional de Rosario. She currently holds a postdoctoral fellowship from CONICET and serves as Head Teaching Assistant at the Faculty of Chemical... Read More →

María José Llop

Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional del Litoral

She holds a PhD in Statistics from the Universidad Nacional de Rosario and a Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics from the Universidad Nacional del Litoral. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at CONICET; she serves as a Professor at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and... Read More →

Chairs/Hosts

María Inés Stimolo

Organizers

María Inés Stimolo

Tuesday October 6, 2026 20:00 - 21:00 UTC
Zoom Room #2

Invited Panel, Technical Statistical Session

Country Argentina
Session ID 215

21:00 UTC

S411 - Fireside Chat with CWS Country Representatives: Navigating the Impact of AI in Teaching, Research, and Professional Practice

Tuesday October 6, 2026 21:00 - 22:00 UTC

Zoom Room #4

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education and professional practice at an unprecedented pace, reshaping teaching, research, and ethics while shifting the professional landscape for women and underrepresented groups in data science.
This invited fireside chat brings together CWS country representatives to share insights from diverse global contexts, highlighting how regional infrastructure gaps and regulatory frameworks shape AI adoption. Structured as an interactive, ask-me-anything-style conversation, the session will engage the audience to foster open dialogue.
Through dynamic exchanges, panellists will explore critical tensions in teaching and learning - such as adapting course design and student assessments to an AI-enabled landscape while combatting the threat of professional "deskilling". The discussion will also examine the dual-edged sword of AI in research, balancing efficiency gains in coding and data processing against concerns regarding algorithmic bias, automated plagiarism, and transparency. Moving beyond academia, the session will address how AI influences broader professional practice, focusing on the need for inclusive ethical frameworks and policies that promote equity.
Ultimately, this cross-regional dialogue aims to identify practical strategies for responsible AI use, fostering global awareness of the opportunities and systemic challenges faced by educators, researchers, and professionals in statistics and data science.

Speakers

Sofía Villar

MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, UK

Sofia S. Villar is a Research Professor and Group Leader within the Efficient Study Design theme at the MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, where she also serves as Academic Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Her research bridges optimization, machine lear... Read More →

Lígia Henriques-Rodrigues

Department of Mathematical Sciences and CEAUL, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon

Lígia Henriques Rodrigues is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. She is a researcher at the Centre of Statistics and Its Applications of the University of Lisbon.

Her research focuses mainly on Extreme Value Statistics, semi-parametric estimation, bias reduction, risk modelling, Bayesian analysis, spatio-temporal models and survival analysis. Her work combines methodological developments in Statistics with applications to real data, particularly... Read More →

Gabriela Cybis

Department of Statistics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Gabriela Bettella Cybis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil, where she is also a faculty member of the Graduate Program in Statistics.

She holds a B.Sc. in Biology and an M.Sc. in Mathematics f... Read More →

Atinuke Adebanji

Purdue University

Atinuke Adebanji is an Associate Professor of Practice- Statistics at Purdue University, Indianapolis.

Her research and engagement activities focuses on applied multivariate methods, statistical modelling of public health outcomes, multidisciplinary statistical collaboration, and promoting statistical literacy. She has published articles on new distributions applied to health data... Read More →

Chairs/Hosts

Wendy Lou

Organizers

Vanda Lourenço

Tuesday October 6, 2026 21:00 - 22:00 UTC
Zoom Room #4

Invited Panel, Other

Session ID 411

12:00 UTC

14:00 UTC

17:00 UTC

20:00 UTC

21:00 UTC

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