I graduated from Duke University with a BS in mathematics in 1992. After working for two years as an
actuary, I got my Ph.D. in statistics from Harvard University in 1999. I landed back at Duke in the Department of Statistical
Science in Fall 2002. Between 2010 and 2015, I was the Mrs. Alexander Hehmeyer Professor of Statistical Science, having been
appointed as a Bass Chair in recognition of "excellence in undergraduate teaching and research."
I am honored to be the recipient of the Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching
Award for 2007 (news story
about the award). This annual award is given by Duke undergraduates to a member of the Duke faculty.
I also am honored to be the recipient of the Outstanding Postdoc Mentor award for 2016 (information
about the award).
I participate in both applied and methodological research in statistical science. I am most interested in applications involving social science and public policy, although I enjoy working with researchers in all disciplines. My methodological research focuses mainly on statistical methods for protecting data confidentiality, for handling missing data, and for modeling complex data including methods for causal inferences. In 2015, The Atlantic published a story about my research on methods for protecting data confidentiality. In 2009, Duke ran an article on my research interests that does a great job explaining some of the things that intrigue me. I was the Principal Investigator of the Triangle Census Research Network, a research center funded by the National Science Foundation to improve the practice of data dissemination among federal statistical agencies. Until July 2019, I was the Deputy Director of the Information Initiative at Duke, an institute dedicated to research and applications in the analysis of large-scale (and not large-scale) data. I was appointed the Chair of the Department of Statistical Science in 2019.