On May 15, the George Washington University Department of Statistics hosted its end-of-year awards ceremony and graduation reception, celebrating the outstanding achievements of the department community. Faculty, students, alumni, and family members gathered to recognize academic excellence, leadership, research accomplishments, and service to the department throughout the year.
A highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of the department’s inaugural Distinguished Alumni Awards to two exceptional alumni whose professional achievements and dedication to the field of statistics have brought distinction to both the profession and the department.
The first Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Mitchell Gail, who joined the National Cancer Institute in 1969 and went on to serve there for more than 56 years after earning his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1968 and his PhD in Statistics from George Washington University in 1977. His groundbreaking contributions to biostatistics and public health include developing methods for epidemiologic studies and creating the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool, widely known as the Gail Model. A former president of the American Statistical Association and member of the National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Gail has remained closely connected to the department and recently funded a new Distinguished Seminar Series that will launch in the upcoming academic year. Dr. Gail delivered remarks on the role of statisticians in the era of AI, emphasizing the continued importance of establishing context, designing sound analytical frameworks, and identifying challenges and potential sources of error.
The second Distinguished Alumni Award honored Fritz Scheuren, who earned his PhD in Statistics from George Washington University in 1972 after discovering his passion for the field while working in the Statistics of Income Division of the IRS and taking evening classes at GW. His accomplished career included leadership and research roles at the Office of Economic Opportunity, the Social Security Administration, the IRS, and NORC at the University of Chicago, with scholarly contributions focused on sampling, data quality, and statistical methods for human rights. A former president of the American Statistical Association and longtime supporter of the department, Dr. Scheuren is the namesake of the Fritz Scheuren Prize for Leadership and Service, which has recognized outstanding GW statistics students since 2017.
The ceremony also recognized students for their exceptional accomplishments throughout the academic year. Honors included the prestigious Minna Mirin Kullback Memorial Prize for Research and Scholarship, awarded for excellence in research and scholarly achievement to Jilei Lin, and the Fritz Scheuren Prize for Leadership and Service, recognizing extraordinary commitment to leadership and community engagement within the department, awarded to Zexin Ren.
Kevin Cory and Michael Ehart, graduating MSc students, received the Cornfield Award for Academic Excellence and Engagement in recognition of their exemplary academic performance and active participation in departmental life. Chuanhui Peng was honored with the Cornfield Award for Academic Excellence and Engagement for outstanding performance on the department’s qualifying examinations.
Lastly, graduating undergraduate students Michaela Eley and Eva Fulcher were presented with the Undergraduate Award for Academic Excellence in recognition of their academic achievements and embodiment of the department’s commitment to excellence.
The afternoon concluded with a reception where attendees celebrated the honorees’ achievements and reflected on another successful year for the department.
