“Data scientists hold the key to making a spectrum of critical discoveries”
The idea that statistics is purely math is just one misconception Genevera Allen, associate professor of statistics at Rice University, is used to dispelling. Another hits closer to home — that statistics isn’t a creative pursuit.
Allen’s own passion for creativity is what brought her to Rice in the first place. “We don’t stare at numbers in an Excel spreadsheet all day,” she said. “Statistics is really about problem-solving. There is so much data out there — you have to think creatively and work collaboratively with other people to solve problems based on this data. It requires a lot of critical thinking skills, problem-solving and communication and a lot less about dealing with numbers.”
Allen didn’t initially plan on pursuing a career in statistics or academia, instead she dreamt of being a musician. “I came to Rice as an undergrad to study music and viola performance, but a shoulder surgery during my freshman year led me to completely switch up my major, and on a whim, I thought it would be fun to take a statistics class,” she said. “I took the statistics class and said, ‘Oh my goodness, I love this. This is exactly how I think.’”
Statistics is the mathematics of quantifying how we make decisions based on past evidence. “It really resonated with me and I became a statistics major, got my Ph.D. and went into academia, ending up back at Rice as a faculty member.”
For more visit unconventional.rice.edu/genevera-allen
