Professional organizations such as the American Statistical Association's Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Outreach Group provide a space for dialog by focusing explicitly on intersecting identities and systems in relation to statistics and data science.

Samantha Robinson, director of the Data Science Initiatives for the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, recently co-authored a brief article in The JEDI Corner of the November 2021 issue of AMSTATNEWS, The Membership Magazine of the American Statistical Association (ASA): "Statistics for Equity: Capturing, Not Masking, Intersectional Dynamics in Data."   

About the article, Robinson said, "Statistics can help make the invisible, visible. But we first must remove all stigmas associated with discussing power, privilege, and marginalization in statistical inquiry. These stigmatizations limit our ability to communicate about intersectional identities and social processes with one another and the broader scientific community, especially in relation to methods pertaining to intersectional identities and social processes."

"Once conversations around equity and inclusion, for instance, become endemic, it will become easier to have open and direct dialogs about intersectionality," she added. "Advances in education and research from a statistical point of view can contribute to a larger discussion on intersectionality for the goal of improving equity." 

Read the full article online.  

In addition to directing the Fulbright College Data Science Initiatives, Robinson is a teaching assistant professor and holds the Julia A. Hicks Chair within the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Robinson is also currently a member of the Fulbright College Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council and actively demonstrates commitment to DEI/JEDI initiatives at the department, college, and national levels through her involvement and that of her department and unit.