Kun Chen
Bio
Dr. Kun Chen is a Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Connecticut (UConn) and a Research Fellow at the Center for Population Health at UConn Health. His research focuses on large-scale statistical learning, machine learning, and data science, with impactful applications in population health and interdisciplinary science. He is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA), an elected member of the International Statistical Institute, and the recipient of the 2024 UConn CLAS Innovative Scholarship Award.
Dr. Chen has been deeply involved in NESS since its founding in 2017. As one of its founding members, he helped organize early interest groups, develop the society’s bylaws, and incorporate NESS as a nonprofit organization. He served on the inaugural Executive Committee and as Secretary for four years (2017–2021), playing a central role in its day-to-day operations, governance, and growth. He has remained active in NESS, particularly in programming and partnerships, helping to launch and sustain major annual events, including the New England Rare Disease Statistics Workshop and the Pharmaceutical Data Science Conference. He has also been a main organizer of the New England Statistics Symposium at UConn since 2022.
Beyond NESS, Dr. Chen has served the profession in other leadership roles, including President of the ASA Connecticut Chapter, Board Member of the International Chinese Statistical Association, Program Chair of the ASA Computing Section, and Associate Program Chair for the Joint Statistical Meetings. He is committed to advancing our community through research, education, service, and collaboration, and to building vibrant networks across academia, industry, and government as our field continues to evolve in the age of AI.
Candidate Statement
Dr. Chen is well positioned to lead NESS with scholarly distinction, deep institutional knowledge, a strong commitment to teamwork, and a clear understanding of what has worked well and what can be improved. Looking ahead, his vision is to help NESS grow into an even stronger regional home for statistics and data science: intellectually vibrant, operationally sustainable, and deeply connected across academia, industry, and government.
His priorities include strengthening the society’s organizational backbone through better coordination, leadership succession, and practical handbooks for major events; better integrating existing pathways that support students and early-career members through mentoring, programming, awards, and leadership development; and deepening collaborations with other professional organizations and partners. These efforts aim to preserve institutional memory, cultivate future leaders, strengthen member engagement, and help NESS continue to grow in a sustainable way.
The rise of AI is both a challenge and an opportunity for NESS. Our society can play an important role in promoting impactful statistical work and articulating the distinctive leadership that statistics brings to this rapidly changing landscape.
Resume
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Kun Chen Resume
