Outstanding Section Service Award 2024

TSHS JSM 2024, by Ed Gracely, PhD, Drexel University and Amy Nowacki, PhD, Cleveland Clinic.

The Outstanding Section Service Awards are presented by the ASA Council of Sections every year, but each section can only propose a recipient every third year. TSHS has awardees in 2021 (Amy Nowacki) and this year’s winner, 2024, Ann Brearley from the University of Minnesota.

Ann has taken numerous leadership roles in the section and performed substantial service in support of its mission and goals. Her terms as TSHS publications officer from 2016 to 2019 were characterized by a commitment to excellence, ensuring the dissemination of high-quality information to keep our membership informed. Ann only left this role to begin serving as section chair-elect 2020, section chair 2021 and section past-chair 2022. Ann demonstrated exemplary leadership, guiding the section with vision and effectiveness. 

One of Ann’s most significant contributions is her pivotal role in the development and maintenance of the TSHS Resources Portal. Since its inception in 2012, Ann has been instrumental in its growth, serving on the development team and later as the editorial board chair from 2016 to 2021. Her tireless efforts have helped transform the Portal into a valuable hub for statistical educators, providing a wealth of resources to enhance teaching and learning in the health sciences.

Ann’s dedication to advancing statistical education is further exemplified by her involvement in organizing sessions at the Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM). From 2012 to 2016, she served as a mainstay session organizer, curating engaging and impactful sessions that addressed key pedagogical challenges for teaching statistics in the health sciences.

Ann’s leadership, innovation, and commitment to excellence have significantly enriched statistical education in the health sciences, leaving a lasting impact on the profession and the section.