The Department of Mathematics & Statistics and the Office of the Dean of Natural & Applied Sciences are very pleased to welcome Dr. Ron Wasserstein, Executive Director of the American Statistical Society. Dr. Wasserstein will deliver a 4:00pm public lecture in BSC Schaap Auditorium, immediately followed by a reception in the BSC Living Room, where attendees are encouraged to visit with Dr. Wasserstein and enjoy cookies and coffee.

In his talk, “Why YOUR Expertise Matters,” Dr. Wasserstein will encourage you to think about the fact that every day, you trust thousands of experts you will never meet - the engineers who designed your phone, the statisticians behind economic data, the chemists who tested your water, the historians who shaped your curriculum. Modern life is a vast web of specialized knowledge, and it works because we trust each other's expertise. Yet public confidence in experts is declining, with real consequences for science, policy, and democracy. This talk walks students through an ordinary day to reveal their constant dependence on expertise across every field — from physics to philosophy — and makes the case that their education is not just personally valuable but essential to a functioning society.

Please join us for this stimulating and timely presentation; it will be of interest regardless of your major or field!

Please note that Dr. Wasserstein will also deliver a student colloquium entitled, “Moving to a World Beyond P<0.5” on Wednesday, February 25th at 4:30pm in Schaap Science Center, room 1000.