KAUST Assistant Professor Raphaël Huser received the American Statistical Association's 2019 Section on Statistics and the Environment Early Investigator Award for his contributions to environmental statistics. Huser's research focuses on developing models for extreme events observed in space and time. He leads the KAUST extSTAT research group, which develops statistical models to understand the stochastic behavior of rare events. Why it matters: Recognition of KAUST faculty highlights the university's growing prominence in statistical research and its application to environmental challenges in the region.
KAUST Ph.D. student Jian Cao received a best paper award from the American Statistical Association (ASA) for his paper on computing high-dimensional normal and Student-t probabilities. The paper uses Tile-Low-Rank Quasi-Monte Carlo and Block Reordering. Cao, a member of Professor Marc Genton's group, will be recognized at the ASA's Joint Statistical Meetings. Why it matters: This award highlights KAUST's strength in high-performance computing and statistical research, contributing to advancements in handling complex, high-dimensional datasets.
KAUST Ph.D. student Sabrina Vettori won the 2017 Student Paper Competition sponsored by the Section on Statistics and the Environment of the American Statistical Association. Her winning paper was titled "Bayesian clustering and dimension reduction in multivariate air pollution extremes", co-authored by Huser and Genton. The competition focused on environmental statistics, with winners presenting at the Joint Statistical Meetings. Why it matters: This award recognizes KAUST's contribution to environmental statistics and highlights the university's ability to attract and nurture talent in this critical area.
KAUST Assistant Professor Ying Sun won the 2017 Section on Statistics and the Environment Early Investigator Award. The award recognizes early-career researchers making significant contributions to environmental statistics. The award was given by the American Statistical Association. Why it matters: This highlights KAUST's strength in interdisciplinary research and its faculty's recognition on the international stage.
KAUST Professor Marc Genton received the 2024 Don Owen Award from the San Antonio Chapter of the American Statistical Association. The award recognizes Genton's excellence in research, statistical consultation, and service to the statistical community. Genton's research focuses on large-scale spatial and temporal data, with applications to environmental problems, including wind energy potential in Saudi Arabia. Why it matters: This award highlights KAUST's contributions to statistical research and its application to important environmental challenges in the region.