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Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics: The Misapplication of Statistics in American life.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics: The Misapplication of Statistics in American life.Sarah's Headshot

Dr. Talithia Williams

Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Abstract

As such, statistical literacy is necessary for members of society to critically evaluate the bombardment of charts, polls, graphs, and data that are presented on a daily basis. However, what often passes for "statistical" calculations and discoveries need to be taken with a grain of salt. 

Talk

This talk will examine the applications of statistics in American media and give examples of where statistics has been grossly misused.

Biography

Dr. Talithia Williams is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at Harvey Mudd College. In her present capacity as a junior faculty member, she exemplifies the role of teacher and scholar through outstanding research, with a passion for integrating and motivating the educational process with real world statistical applications. Her educational background includes a Bachelors degree in Mathematics, Masters' degrees in both Mathematics and Statistics, and a Doctorate in Statistics.

Her professional experiences include research appointments at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the National Security Agency (NSA), and NASA. In addition to her academic accomplishments, Talithia is also a woman of faith. The multifaceted nature of her being is infused with bold, vibrant splashes of servitude that embody a quest to live out the eternal ideals of God. She and her husband, Donald, actively teach and share the biblical constructs of Christian marriage. Their ministry involvement ranges from marriage mentoring to teaching Natural Family Planning (NFP) fertility awareness methodologies. She is a member of Pomona First Baptist Church and resides in Pomona, California with her husband, Donald, and their sons, Josiah (3.5 yrs) and Noah (16 months). They are expecting Baby Williams 3 in January 2012.

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