
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 am the Principal Investigator of the
Triangle Census Research
Network, which is
funded by the National Science Foundation to improve the practice of data dissemination among federal statistical agencies. I also am 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.