September 2013
FAO:
Heads of School
Heads of Mathematics and Statistics
Heads of Sixth Form
Heads of Y10& Y11
Dear Sir/Madam,
What has Statistics ever done for you …?
A lecture and competition for your students
We are writing about an exciting activity for your students as part of an event being held at the
University of Warwick on 27th November 2013: ‘What has Statistics ever done for you?’
(http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statistics/news/publicengagement).
The event will
showcase the various ways that the field of Statistics has contributed to science and society, in
celebration of the International Year of Statistics 2013. There will be a range of talks, posters and
discussions; and in particular an evening lecture and reception aimed at the community including
Schools. The lecture should be accessible to Y10 onwards.
As part of the event, we are inviting schools to participate in a competition on ‘What has Statistics
ever done for …?’. The competition involves designing a poster that illustrates how statistics has
influenced science or society and helped solve problems. We hope to engage with a broad range
of topics and the competition is not confined to students studying Mathematics and Statistics.
There will be two entry categories: one for Y10&Y11 and another for A-Level/sixth form students.
The finalists will have their posters displayed at the event and the winners will be announced
during the evening session.
The choice of problem for the poster is up to teachers and students. For example, problems could
range from meteorology and climate change to social policy and demographics. The focus can
also be as broad or narrow as the students decide; they can choose to cover a specific problem,
(e.g. fighting cancer, building safer buildings) or broader areas (e.g. medicine, risk and safety), or
even the impact of Statistics in society at large.
The poster entry deadline is November 12th and further details of the competition including
judging criteria, poster size, and submission process are on the website
(http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statistics/news/publicengagement).
The event is open to all and, of course, attendance at the event is not conditional on entering the
competition. The programme outline is on the back of this letter. The celebration free, including
refreshments, though there will be a need to register to ensure that we cater for the appropriate
numbers. This is an opportunity to inform and engage students with the broad range of topics on
which statistics can impact. We hope very much that your school will be able to take part.
Yours sincerely
Professor Simon French
simon.french@warwick.ac.uk
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Professor Simon French
Risk Initiative and Statistical Consultancy Unit
Department of Statistics, University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
simon.french@warwick.ac.uk
What has Statistics ever done for you …?
http://go.warwick.ac.uk/statsforyou
November 27th, 2013
Zeeman Building, University of Warwick, Room MS.01
3.00pm:
Tea
3.15pm:
Afternoon Session: Statistics in Academic Research
Chair: Professor Simon French
3.15pm:
3.30pm
4.00pm
4.30pm
5.00pm:
5.45pm
8.00pm
Introduction: Statistics: a framework for research
Professor Simon French
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Three talks on collaborative research projects given by
statisticians at Warwick and their collaborators
Brains Trust and Discussion on the challenges in setting up
collaborative research project and the means to overcome these.
Evening Session: Statistics in Science and Society
5.45pm:
Reception and Posters in the ‘Street’ (Foyer of the Zeeman
Building)
6.30pm:
Welcome and Presentation of Prizes for School Competition
Chair: Professor David Firth
6.45pm:
Public Lecture: Statistics, why should they matter?
Professor Marian Scott (University of Glasgow)
In this lecture, Professor Scott will explore the role that Statistics
and statisticians have played and can play in exploring some
challenges in the environmental sciences and environmental
policy. The examples will be drawn from archaeology and past
environments, bathing water, air quality and health, and water.
Close
Supported by EPSRC Impact Acceleration funding.
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