By Jill Pease
Members of the American Statistical Association have elected Ji-Hyun Lee, DrPH, a professor of biostatistics in the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions and the UF College of Medicine, president of ASA for the 2025 term.
ASA is the world’s largest community of statisticians, with more than 19,000 members in more than 90 countries.
Lee serves as the director of the Division of Quantitative Sciences at the UF Health Cancer Center, providing strategic leadership and administrative direction for Cancer Center scientists.
Lee will serve as ASA president-elect starting January 1, 2024 with her term as president beginning January 1, 2025. Her presidential platform is centered on building strong bridges, both within and outside the ASA community.
“In this data-driven era, we need a clear strategy to ensure our members are leaders and well-represented in science, medicine, society and policy efforts,” Lee said. “Building bridges with other leading professional societies in a wider range of disciplines, not only in data science but also in medical and other non-quantitative fields, is an effective way to elevate the role of statistics in team science. These bridges would foster collaborations, promote statistical literacy and advance scientific discovery.”
She plans to focus on three key areas: growing visibility of the organization and its members with partner groups; enhancing opportunities for members, including offering accessible and tailored professional development opportunities; and diversifying and increasing ASA’s membership.
“Dr. Lee is a remarkable qualitative scientist who has revolutionized the practice of biostatistics at the UF Health Cancer Center, adding scientific rigor to all of our research,” said Jonathan Licht, M.D., director of the Cancer Center. “This is a richly deserved election highlighting the critical importance of collaborative biostatistics.”
Lee’s election represents several firsts. She is the first Korean American statistician, the first woman statistician from Florida, and the first cancer center applied biostatistician in the history of the ASA presidency.
She has more than 20 years’ experience in various aspects of cancer research, including clinical trial designs, health disparity, cancer prevention interventions (including smoking cessation), and the application of AI in cancer research. She is the author of more than 175 peer-reviewed articles.
Lee is an elected ASA fellow and a certified professional statistician through ASA. She has served on the association’s Council of Chapters governing board as a district vice chair, and on ASA’s Board of Directors for three years. In addition to her work with ASA, she has also been actively involved in other professional statistical societies. In 2017, she served as president of the Caucus for Women in Statistics, an international organization that supports and advances female statisticians’ careers. As a member of the Korean International Statistical Society, she served on the Board of Directors from 2017 to 2022.
Lee shared this message for fellow ASA members:
“Collaboration is the cornerstone of my career and personal life, bringing immense fulfillment,” she said. “I invite you to join me in this journey, as together we can make the ASA’s mission a reality. I value the input and efforts of every member, and will prioritize listening and coordination to ensure our organization’s success as a collective. It is with great humility and honor that I have been entrusted with this pivotal leadership role by my colleagues at ASA. I am thrilled about the opportunity to serve you and our shared professional home.”
