WSS
NEWS

News about activities of the Washington Statistical Society
A Chapter of the American Statistical Association

October 2000

  

Contents:


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Message from the President

WSS encourages members to receive the WSS Newsletter electronically as a cost savings to the chapter. Some members continue to receive the mailed copy because the format of the electronic version is difficult to read due to its ascii format. The ascii format has been used as the format of the electronic version is not changed by most electronic mail systems. However, the html version of the WSS Newsletter is available the beginning of each month on the ASA Internet site (http://www.amstat.org) through the link to the Washington Statistical Society.

If you find this method of receipt of the newsletter acceptable, please contact Vince Massimini at svm@mitre.org to have your name added to the email list. Thank you for helping the chapter to be more cost-effective in its use of member dues.

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WSS Audit

The audit of the WSS financial statements for July 1, 1999 to May 31, 2000 has been completed. The statements were found to be in order. The auditor thanks Treasurer Jill Montaquila for providing copies of the necessary records.

The May 31 balance in the "business economy" checking account was $16,852.70. The WSS has three certificates of deposit. Two were issued February 26, 2000 in the amount of $2,500 each with annual percentage yields of 4.5%. The other one was issued February 26, 2000 in the amount of $28,720.66 with an annual percentage yield of 6.1%.

Michael P. Cohen, WSS Auditor

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November 14-16, 2001
FCSM Research Conference
Call for Abstracts

The Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology, which is composed of the senior statisticians from several statistical agencies and is sponsored by the Office of Management and Budget, is planning a research conference to be held November 14-16, 2001 at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, VA. The conference will consist primarily of contributed papers, most of which will receive formal discussion at the conference. The conference will feature papers and software demonstrations on topics related to a broad range of government statistical research interests. Papers and demonstrations may address methodology, empirical studies, or relevant issues. Final papers will be due prior to the conference. Papers must be original and not previously published or disseminated.

To have a paper or demonstration considered for presentation, an abstract of at least one page will be required by December 1, 2000. Abstracts should include a brief description of the paper, up to four key words, the presenter's name, affiliation, mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, and E-mail address. Submit an ASCII text file by E-mail and a hard copy by fax or mail. To submit abstracts or obtain additional information, contact:

Stephen Cohen
Office of Survey Methods Research
Room 4915
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Washington, DC 20212
Phone: 202-691-7400
Fax: 202-691-7426
E-mail: fcsm@ccmail.census.gov

Information on the conference can also be found on the FCSM web site, www.fcsm.gov.

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SGE Conference 2000

The Society of Government Economists (SGE) is pleased to announce that it is hosting a conference on The "New Economy: What Has Changed and Challenges for Economic Policy." The conference will be held on November 17, 2000 in Washington, DC.

Is there really a "new economy" for the new millennium? What defines the new economy and do those characteristics present fresh challenges to policy makers? The conference will go well beyond the usual focus on information technologies and their contributions to productivity growth. The many sessions in the conference will focus on issues such as the new macro environment, the evolution of markets and the implications for federal regulation, the socioeconomic implications of the new technologies, market efficiency, industry productivity, changing infrastructure needs, globalization, risk sharing between employers and employees, and changes in the demand and supply for human capital. The keynote speaker for the conference is Kathryn Shaw of the President's Council of Economic Advisers. Jack Triplett of The Brookings Institution will deliver the luncheon address.

Please visit the SGE Web site www.sge-econ.org/conference.html for further details and registration information.

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ASA Session Reprise:
Research on Government Survey Nonresponse

Please join us for a repeat of the ASA standing room only session on nonresponse. The session will be split into two WSS seminars with two papers presented at each session. Part 1 will be October 19 from 12:30-2:00 in the BLS Conference Center, Room 2. Stephanie Smilay of the Census Bureau will present: "Can Reducing the Data Collection Period Increase the Response Rate?" John Dixon of BLS will present: "The Relationship Between Household Moving, Nonresponse, and Unemployment Rate in the Current Population Survey." Part 2 will be November 16 from 12:30-2:00 in the BLS Conference Center, Room 2. Nancy Bates of the Census Bureau will present: "The Last Five Percent: What Can We Learn from Late Interviews?" and Lee Giesbrecht of BTS will present: "A Comparison of Bias Estimates in RDD and Address-Based Samples." The Census Bureau will provide video conferencing for both seminars at 12:30-2:00 in Room 3225/4.

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Note From The WSS NEWS Editor

Items for publication in the December 2000 WSS NEWS should be submitted no later than October 31, 2000. E-mail items to Michael Feil at michael.feil@usda.gov.

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WSS People

President
Cynthia Z.F. Clark (301) 457-2165
 Past President
Mary Batcher (202) 327-6740
 President-Elect
Andrew White
Secretary
Tom Mule (301) 457-8322
 Treasurer
Jill Montaquila (301) 517-4046

Vice Chair for District 2 of
Council of Chapters
Ron Fecso (703) 306-1780 ext. 6906
 Council of Chapters Representative
Carolee Bush (301) 457-3840
Representatives-at-Large
Carolyn Shettle (202) 537-6793
Linda Atkinson (202) 694-5046
  
John Czajka (202) 484-4685
Glenn White (202) 327-6414
WSS Program Chairs
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Anne Peterson (703) 235-5218 ext 113
 Economics
Art Kennickell (202) 452-2247
Linda Atkinson (202) 694-5046
Methodology Section
Stuart Scott (202) 606-7383

Methodology Program
Ginny de Wolf (202) 395-7314
 Public Health and Biostatistics
Paul Hshieh (301) 295-9762
Jai Choi (301) 458-4144
Public Policy
Carolyn Shettle (202) 537-6793
Phil Ross (202) 260-5244
 Quality Assurance and Physical Sciences
Amrut Champaneri (202) 690-3130
Michael Feil (202) 690-3137
Short Courses
Robin Lee (202) 327-7575
 Social & Demographic Statistics
Roberta Sangster (202) 606-7517
Manual de la Puente (301) 457-4997
Statistical Computing
Bob Jernigan (202) 885-3170
Doug Samuelson (703) 978-5030
 Data Collection Methods
Brad Edwards (301) 294-2021
Linda Stinson (202) 606-7528
Jonaki Bose (202) 219-1619
Employment
Fotios Kokkotos (202) 822-5592
 WSS NEWS Editor
Michael Feil (301) 443-4234
Electronic Mail
Michael L. Cohen (202) 334-3765
Michael Greene (703) 247-1575
S.V. (Vince) Massimini (703) 883-5893
 Membership
Renee Miller (202) 426-1117
Antionette Martin 202) 426-1110
Fritz Scheuren (202) 261-5886
Quantitative Literacy
Wendy Rotz (202) 327-7822
Carolyn Carroll (703) 379-4500
 Science Fair
Lee Abramson (301) 415-6180
Video Librarian
Mel Kollander (202) 537-6700
 Social Arrangements
Jeri Mulrow (202) 327-6772
Local Arrangement
Kevin Cecco (202) 874-0464 		WSS Historian
Michael P. Cohen (202) 219-1917
WSS Committee on ASA Fellows
Phil Kott (703) 235-5211 x 102
 Jacobs Memorial Committee
Paul Cook (703) 235-5218
Wendy Rotz (202) 327-7822
Shiskin Committee
Howard Hogan (301) 457-2665
 Hansen Lecture Committee
Nancy Kirkendall
Wes Schaible
Rich Allen
Bob Groves
Joseph Waksberg
Student Representative
Currently Vacant

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First posted September 28, 2000
Last modified October 2, 2000

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