News Archives

Ciarleglio Awarded Gertrude Cox Scholarship by American Statistical Association

Maria Ciarleglio, a Ph.D. student in the Division of Biostatistics, was awarded the Gertrude Cox Scholarship by the American Statistical Association (ASA), the leading professional association in the field of statistics. The scholarship was awarded at the ASA's Joint Statistical Meetings, held in Toronto on August 8-12.

The scholarship, established in 1989 to encourage more women to enter professions related to statistics, is awarded annually to three female students engaged in full-time study in a graduate statistical program. Ciarleglio's advisor, Professor Robert Makuch, notes that the scholarship is the most prestigious award provided to women in a graduate statistical program, and states that “Maria is among those rare students who not only is at the top of her class academically in the nation, but also excels in her interactions with others through an ever-present smile and good humor.” The scholarship was named after Gertrude Cox, who in 1941 became the first female full professor and first female department head at North Carolina State College, where she headed the Department of Experimental Statistics in the School of Agriculture. In 1944, Cox was made a fellow of the ASA, and in 1975, she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

“It is a great honor and blessing to be chosen as a recipient of the Gertrude Cox Scholarship,” says Ciarleglio, who received an honorable mention when she applied for the scholarship last year. “I owe this recognition to the support of my colleagues and mentors in the Yale statistics community. I hope that my work in the field will honor the memory of Gertrude Cox.”

Ciarleglio, a 2003 graduate of Yale College, majored in Applied Mathematics and Economics as an undergraduate. She is active as a Graduate Affiliate of Jonathan Edwards College, attending fellow dinners and speaking with undergraduates about academic and career choices in public health and biostatistics.

After receiving her degree, Ciarleglio would like to gain experience in her field by working on pharmaceutical clinical trials or by working for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, after which she would like to establish a teaching career in statistics.

-Story by Christy Gordon, based on interview with Maria Ciarleglio on July 28, 2004 and Robert Makuch on August 9, 2004.