Listed alphabetically by section.
A Statistical Workshop on Linear Regression
Section: Epidemiology/Ecology/Environmental Biology
Organizer: Larry Madden, Ohio State University, Wooster, OH Sponsoring Committee: Epidemiology
Regression analysis is one of the fundamental tools of data analysis in plant pathology and other biological sciences. Yet, many investigators struggle with the methodology, being uncertain on the proper model to use and how to evaluate the model fit for different types of data (discrete, ordinal, or continuous). This workshop will teach the basic methods of linear regression analysis. Emphasis will be on utilization of SAS statistical software to: fit models to data; diagnose the appropriateness of the chosen models; and assess the reasonableness of implicit statistical assumptions. Special emphasis will be placed on utilization of the Output Delivery System of SAS to prepare graphs of key results. Very little theory will be presented, and participants need only introductory knowledge of statistics. In addition to linear regression modeling, participants will learn how to use robust regression modeling to deal with data with outliers, or when assumptions about normality are not reasonable. Moreover, other specialized methods (and corresponding SAS computer code) will be introduced, such as: logistic regression for binary data, quantile regression for analysis of heterogeneous data, where the tails of the distributions have a different relationship with a predictor than does the mean of the response variable; and penalized splines and other smoothing models, for when there is no simple or obvious functional relationship between a response variable and a predictor. Participants should bring a laptop with SAS (9.1 or later) installed. This session will follow the tradition of the epidemiology and crop loss assessment and risk evaluation committees’ workshops on “bringing statistical analysis to the masses.”
Preparing for a Job Interview in the Private, Academic, and Government Sectors of Plant Pathology
Section: Professionalism/Service/Outreach
Organizer: Lyndon Porter, USDA-ARS, Prosser, WA
Sponsoring Committee: Early Career Professionals
This workshop will provide training and tips for preparing for a successful job interview in the discipline of plant pathology. The workshop will focus on the following: 1) preparing for an interview, what you should know and do; 2) how to interview, what to do and not to do; 3) discussion panel made up of people who frequently conduct interviews from the government, private, and academic sectors; and 4) interview and application experiences from early career professionals who recently obtained jobs. This workshop is appropriate for early career professionals and graduate students.
