American Statistical Association (ASA) Section on Statistics and the Environment (ENVR) Last Modified: 2000-Aug-12 Send comments, corrections, additions to: ENVR Web Editor or ENVR Webmaster

It's May and I hope you have started to make your travel plans to join us at the Joint Statistical Meetings this summer in Indianapolis. As you can see from the article which follows by Tim Gregoire, our program chair elect, work is already proceeding toward the meetings for the summer of 2001. Interestingly, the 2001 theme stresses our arrival in the information age. I couldn't agree more. As many of you have heard me say, in 1967 the word was "plastics", in the early 2000's, it is "information". Here at the US Environmental Protection Agency, we have recognized the importance of information and have just established a 400-person Office of Environmental Information. The office is dedicated to integrating quality environmental information to make it useful for informing decisions, improving management, documenting performance, and measuring success. Since I am one of those 400, I am especially aware of the significance of information and the power it has! As you read Tim's request, think about how you can add to the role of information in environmental statistics. I look forward to the 2000 and 2001 meetings, and hope to meet you at both.

The theme for the 2001 JSM is "Statistical Science for the Information Age." As information about a broad spectrum of environmental concerns is amassing at an ever-increasing rate, this theme is well suited to the mission of the ENVR section to advance the use of sound statistical methods in the environmental arena. Although the meeting, to be held in Atlanta from 5-9 August 2001, is more than a year away, planning for the scientific program has already commenced. I am honored to serve as the program chair for the ENVR section and its representative to the Program Committee. I look forward to maintaining the tradition of past ENVR programs at the JSM that address the range of interests of our members.

At this time the JSM Program Chair, acting through the section representatives to the Program Committee, invites proposals for theme sessions of Invited Papers. This is an invitation that is open to all ENVR members, and it is a tremendous opportunity to impact the development of environmental statistics. Now is the time to begin formulating ideas, communicating with colleagues about topics of mutual interest, and making preliminary contact with potential speakers. The window of opportunity for submitting written (email is fine) proposals closes the first week of July! Send me your ideas now, and I will be very happy to discuss them with you. Even if you have but a general idea, please contact me and we can explore ways to make it more concrete.

For submission to the Program Committee, only written proposals will be considered. The written proposal should include a title and a brief description of the session content; and a tentative list of speakers with the topics they will address. This information will be used to select among the proposed sessions, thus careful consideration should be given to the content. Proposals should be sent to: Timothy G. Gregoire, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 360 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511-2189, USA (Phone: +1(203)432 9398; Fax: +1(203)432 3809; email: timothy.gregoire@yale.edu). Proposals received after the deadline of early July will be accepted, but may be too late for full consideration.

The section typically sponsors around three invited sessions. Additional invited sessions are selected by vote of the Section program chairs when they meet in August. Consideration is given to the quality and breadth of the proposed sessions and the relationship to the overall conference theme. Individuals are limited by JSM rules to at most one talk during the meeting. Therefore it is important to commit your speakers early. I look forward to receiving many excellent proposals, in order to make a strong case for securing additional sessions of ENVR invited papers.

An alternative to an invited session of oral papers is an invited poster. In many respects invited posters enable much better communication than do papers. To foster growth of this part of the technical program, ASA will provide special A/V equipment and internet connections. As with proposal for paper sessions, written proposals for posters must be accompanied with title and description.

As the current ENVR Program Chair, Kathy Ensor, said in this column last year, "Let me hear those great ideas!" With your help and enthusiasm we can ensure that "Statistical Science for the Information Age" will highlight the advances and challenges of statistics and the environment for all ENVR members, indeed for all attendees of JSM 2001.