Thank you to everyone who participated in our first ever Data Mini! Hope it was a great experience for everyone!

📣 Announcements

1. Research Committee Reading Group 📖
The Research Committee is hosting an undergrad reading group on theory and methods research in statistics and machine learning. We will meet biweekly on Fridays, 5-6pm in Perkins Link Group Study 1. More info here.
At each meeting, someone presents a manuscript/excerpt they read, and we discuss. If you are an undergrad interested in theory/methods work, put your name here, and show up! No further registration or prerequisites required. If you would like to present a manuscript, please fill out this form.
🗓️ 5-6 PM on Fridays
📍 Perkins Link Group Study 1

🌱 Competitions & Opportunities

1. Interested in helping Duke Science Bowl on 2/21? Fill out this form to participate: https://forms.gle/WkVsHpXywqnFEW84A

2. Registration is open for ASA DataFest 2026 at Duke! organized by the Department of Statistical Science, will take place in Perkins Library on Duke University West Campus, Friday, March 20, through Sunday, March 22.
DataFest is a data analysis competition where teams of up to five students attack a large, complex, and surprise data set over a weekend. Your job is to represent your school by finding and communicating insights into this data. The teams that impress the judges will win prizes and glory for their school. Everyone will have a great experience, lots of food, and fun!
The event is open to all undergraduate students at Duke and beyond, regardless of level of programming experience.
Please reach out to Dr. Alexander Fisher (alexander.fisher@duke.edu) with any questions.

3. Through the Professional Development Fund for Attire, the Duke Career Center provides $250 in funding to support or supplement the career development of sophomores, juniors, and seniors with demonstrated financial need. The fund aims to support students in the pursuit of a professional or internship opportunity. To be considered, all applicants are asked to describe their financial circumstances to help the review committee understand their financial need. Applications are due on the 15th of each month by noon (12:00 PM ET). Awards will be distributed by gift cards and must be picked up by appointment in the Career Center (036 Bryan Center)

4. Attend the Duke Statistical Science Seminars! Every Friday from 3:30-4:30, a different person from the departmental staff or graduate program will host a seminar on their research. These seminars are great for exploring statistical research and sparking interest in statistical applications. There is no sign up required. Seminars are followed by receptions afterward, where you can discuss with departmental staff about their work. Departmental events including the seminars can be found here.

Thanks for reading, and we hope to see you at our events!

Until next week,
SSMU

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