Awards

Professor Named ASA Fellow

Lisa Sullivan has been elected as a fellow of the American Statistical Association for her leadership in statistical education and collaborative research in cardiovascular disease and clinical trials.

Lisa Sullivan, associate dean for education and professor of biostatistics, has been named a fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA) for her contributions to statistical science. Sullivan will formally receive this honor during the ASA’s 2021 Joint Statistical Meeting, which will take place virtually August 8-11.

Founded in Boston in 1839, the ASA is the largest community of statisticians in the world, and the second-oldest continuously operating professional association in the United States. The designation of ASA Fellow has been an honor for nearly 100 years. Under ASA bylaws, only one-third of one percent of the total association membership may be elected as fellows each year. To be selected, nominees must have an established reputation and have made outstanding contributions to the field.

Sullivan was selected by the Committee on Fellows for her “outstanding contributions and strong leadership in both the field of statistical education and collaborative research in cardiovascular disease and clinical trials; and for exceptional service in training the next generation of biostatisticians and public health practitioners.”

“It is truly an honor to be named an ASA fellow,” says Sullivan, who joined the organization and its Boston chapter in 1990 while she was a graduate student studying mathematics at Boston University. “I am humbled to be recognized for making contributions to the field, particularly in statistics education, for just doing something I love.”

A former chair of the Department of Biostatistics, Sullivan began teaching at SPH in 1988 during her graduate program and formally joined the department in 1996. She currently teaches Introduction to Biostatistics, Quantitative Methods for Public Health, and Communication and Collaboration for Public Health Leaders. She has also published several textbooks on biostatistics and teaching public health, including Essentials of Biostatistics in Public Health (currently in its third edition) and Biostatistics for Population Health: A Primer, and is the co-author of Introductory Applied Biostatistics, Teaching Public Health, and Public Health: An Introduction to the Science and Practice of Population Health.

Sullivan is a senior statistician on the Framingham Heart Study, working to develop and disseminate cardiovascular risk functions. In addition to cardiovascular disease, her research also includes studies on the association between alcohol exposure in pregnancy and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), studies to improve methods for prenatal diagnosis, and a clinical trial to improve repetitive behaviors in children affected with autism.

For several years, she served as secretary in the ASA’s Boston Chapter, and has organized several presentations and events for members and students. She has also served on planning committees for the organization’s annual Joint Statistical Meeting.

Sullivan has received numerous awards, including the Association for Schools of Public Health/Pfizer Award for Teaching Excellence, BU’s Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching, and SPH’s Norman A. Scotch Award for Excellence in Teaching. Last year, the ASA selected her as the recipient of the 2020 Mu Sigma Rho Statistical Education Award, which recognizes excellence in undergraduate or graduate statistical education.

“It is really a privilege to teach—and I am always thankful for the opportunity,” says Sullivan.