Named Lectures

Wald Memorial Award & Lectures

The Wald Memorial Award and Lecture is an annual lecture that honors Abraham Wald. The Wald Memorial Award and Lecture should be presented by a person whose contributions have been fundamental to the development of statistics or probability. The Wald Lecturer gives two talks on one subject.

Blackwell Award & Lecture

The Blackwell Award and Lecture should reflect one of David Blackwell’s many interests in probability, statistics and/or the allied fields of game theory and information theory and could serve to bring these fields closer to statistics and vice versa. The Blackwell Award and Lecture should be presented by a person whose contributions have been fundamental to the development of one of the areas mentioned above. A fund was set up to cover the cost of travel and a plaque for the lecturer.

Le Cam Award & Lecture

The Le Cam Award and Lecture honors Lucien Le Cam. It should be presented by a person whose contributions have been fundamental to the development of mathematical statistics or probability. A fund was set up to cover the cost of travel and a plaque for the lecturer.

Neyman Award & Lecture

The Neyman Award and Lecture honors Jerzy Neyman. It should be presented by a person whose contributions have been fundamental to the development of the interactions between statistical theory and scientific research.

Rietz Award & Lecture

The Rietz Award and Lecture is named after the first President of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, Henry L. Rietz. The Lectures are intended to be of broad interest and serve to clarify the relationship of statistical methodology and analysis to other fields. The Rietz Award and Lecture should be presented by a person whose contributions have been fundamental to the development of the broad area mentioned above.

IMS Grace Wahba Award & Lecture

The IMS Grace Wahba Award and Lecture is an annual lecture at the JSM that honors Grace Wahba’s contributions to statistics and science; including pioneering work in mathematical statistics, machine learning, and optimization; broad and career-long interdisciplinary collaborations that have had a significant impact in the fields of epidemiology, bioinformatics, and climate sciences; as well as outstanding mentoring.

Medallion Awards & Lectures

The Committee on Special Lectures invites eight people to deliver Medallion Awards and Lectures annually. Medallion Awards and Lectures are distinct from Invited Papers, which are chosen by the various Program Committees for specific meetings. Each Medallion Awardee and Lecturer will receive a Medallion in a brief ceremony preceding the lecture. For more information, see here: https://www.imstat.org/handbook/committees.html