<link>/</link> <description/> <language>en</language> <item> <title>鶹Ƶ to Offer Bachelor of Science Degree Beginning Fall 2026 /news/oberlin-offer-bachelor-science-degree-beginning-fall-2026 <span>鶹Ƶ to Offer Bachelor of Science Degree Beginning Fall 2026</span> <span><span>mreed</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-10-16T15:20:14-04:00" title="Thursday, October 16, 2025 - 15:20">Thu, 10/16/2025 - 15:20</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The new degree gives students pursuing a wide range of eligible majors—from biochemistry and computer science to psychology and economics—the opportunity to graduate with either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS), depending on the balance of their coursework. Students who complete at least one BS-eligible major and 16 full courses carrying the Natural Science and Mathematics designation may choose to receive the BS degree.</p><aside class="pull obj-right"><div class="basic-box basic-box--light"><h2 class="small-headline">Majors Eligible for</h2><h2 class="small-headline">the Bachelor of Science:</h2><ul class="list--clean"><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/chemistry-biochemistry/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="5124b507-99df-4595-9104-bdb9c6a22310" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Chemistry and Biochemistry">Biochemistry</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="5954f263-77c8-4106-80db-2cb993408d8a" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Biology">Biology</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="8ad7fc7e-532c-4cd8-9b35-8391defc685b" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Business">Business</a></li><li><a href="/biochemistry" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="755c73bb-f2ba-4bbe-bfb4-8fc57b94dd7c" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Biochemistry">Chemistry</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/computer-science" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="b1e2c8e5-2a8b-4967-8a6d-f8ce5cea4476" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Computer Science">Computer Science</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/data-science/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="fe3d12fe-2a64-4438-b738-5fe696675b00" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Data Science">Data Science</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="30752c27-cce4-4efa-9ba3-c310d98b61a7" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Economics">Economics</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-science/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="66900a61-06bd-4aa7-9555-e85efa26654b" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Environmental Science">Environmental Science</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/finance/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="6911f8f3-bb76-4a72-a710-9869a094b462" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Financial Economics">Financial Economics</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/geosciences/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="0a12379d-58d4-489b-a75d-68d46edd4214" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Geosciences">Geosciences</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/global-health" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="cf90288b-047f-4d2f-ac3a-91691901fde1" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Global Health">Global Health</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/mathematics/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="50eb3820-b9e6-4a08-b060-92ebf3b1a4eb" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Mathematics">Mathematics</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="8e28996c-7931-4f76-912f-28f4ec621121" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Neuroscience">Neuroscience</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/physics-and-astronomy/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="d36e1693-1165-4e42-ac58-9f9bfb1b9a0d" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Physics and Astronomy">Physics</a></li><li><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology/curriculum" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="2655a549-4d67-4820-a808-9a7fb471e11f" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Academic Program in Psychology">Psychology</a></li></ul></div></aside><p>“This is an important evolution for 鶹Ƶ,” says David Kamitsuka, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The Bachelor of Science degree reflects the strength of our existing programs and the multidisciplinary nature of scientific work today. It gives our students new ways to signal the depth of their scientific training. For example, in all of the eligible majors, undergraduates routinely co-author with their faculty mentors in scholarly peer-reviewed scientific journals.”</p><p>Kamitsuka noted that several programs outside traditional STEM areas—such as economics, business, and psychology—also qualify for the BS. “That reflects how today’s problems are solved,” he says. “Understanding markets, managing complex organizations, and studying human behavior all require the same analytical and evidence-based thinking we teach in the natural sciences. The BS degree captures that spirit of interdisciplinary inquiry grounded in the liberal arts tradition that is at the heart of an 鶹Ƶ education.</p><p>The new degree will also broaden 鶹Ƶ’s appeal to prospective students. Across U.S. higher education, more than half of all international students pursue <a href="/arts-and-sciences/sciences-at-oberlin" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="6b83b150-0f8e-435b-9594-08382bdb4e2f" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Sciences at 鶹Ƶ">degrees in STEM or science-related fields</a>—a trend that makes 鶹Ƶ’s new BS degree especially attractive to global applicants.</p><p>For people like Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Jason Belitsky, the degree represents a way to better acknowledge the work many students already do.</p><p>“Our students in chemistry, physics, biology, and related disciplines already engage in extensive lab work, data analysis, and scientific problem-solving that meet the expectations of a Bachelor of Science education,” Belitsky says. “This new degree formally recognizes that rigor and affirms the quality and breadth&nbsp;of scientific preparation our students bring to graduate study and professional work.”</p><p>Belitsky emphasizes that the BS option doesn’t change 鶹Ƶ’s approach to teaching—it enhances it. “What’s exciting is that students will be able to show both sides of their education: deep technical and analytical expertise, and the creativity and communication skills that come from a liberal arts environment.”</p><p>The degree was endorsed by the college’s Educational Plans and Policies Committee earlier this year and approved by the College Faculty. The Bachelor of Science will be available to students beginning in fall 2026.</p><hr><h3>How to Qualify for the BS Degree</h3><p><em>To earn a Bachelor of Science at 鶹Ƶ, students must:</em></p><ol><li>Declare at least one major from the list of BS-eligible programs.</li><li>Notify the Office of the Registrar of their intention to convert their Bachelor of Arts degree to a Bachelor of Science.</li><li>Complete at least 16 full courses designated as Natural Science and Mathematics.</li></ol><p><em>Students who meet the criteria may choose to graduate with either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science—but not both.</em></p><hr></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The new degree option expands academic pathways in the sciences, social sciences, and interdisciplinary fields. </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-10-16T12:00:00Z">Thu, 10/16/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>鶹Ƶ will begin offering a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/bachelor-of-science" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="122754f5-47f5-4c43-a02d-0fce89dcb008" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Bachelor of Science (BS) at 鶹Ƶ">Bachelor of Science</a> degree option to students in the<a href="/arts-and-sciences" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="c6983a98-0d9e-4cc8-b7f9-ba6f11fa4cbb" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="College of Arts and Sciences"> College of Arts and Sciences</a>, expanding pathways in the natural sciences, social sciences, and emerging interdisciplinary fields. Students may elect to pursue the BS program beginning in fall 2026.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4112">New Programs</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25246">Biochemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25251">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=187731">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25306">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25321">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=415031">Data Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25341">Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=468171">Financial Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25366">Geosciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25401">Mathematics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4861">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25411">Physics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25286">Psychology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/chemistry-biochemistry" hreflang="und">Chemistry and Biochemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology" hreflang="und">Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business" hreflang="und">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/computer-science" hreflang="und">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/data-science" hreflang="und">Data Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics" hreflang="und">Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-science" hreflang="und">Environmental Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/finance" hreflang="und">Financial Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/geosciences" hreflang="und">Geosciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/global-health" hreflang="und">Global Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/mathematics" hreflang="und">Mathematics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience" hreflang="und">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/physics-and-astronomy" hreflang="und">Physics and Astronomy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/psychology" hreflang="und">Psychology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Mike Crupi</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/2025-10/RS196858__CRU6412%20copy_lpr%281%29.jpg?itok=4gNN7Syp" width="760" height="507" alt="Fall trees with students walking in Wilder Bowl"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> Thu, 16 Oct 2025 19:20:14 +0000 mreed 757646 at 鶹Ƶ Adds 7 New Majors /news/oberlin-college-and-conservatory-adds-7-new-majors <span>鶹Ƶ Adds 7 New Majors</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-11T13:31:25-04:00" title="Friday, October 11, 2024 - 13:31">Fri, 10/11/2024 - 13:31</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>鶹Ƶ, a world leader in developing innovative thinkers and exceptional artists, will launch seven new majors spanning a wide range of disciplines. The majors not only have broad faculty support but their creation was driven by faculty desire to expand our curriculum to meet evolving student interests and the opportunities and challenges of our complex world.</p><p>In the College of Arts and Sciences, the new majors are Business, Financial Economics, Environmental Science, Communication Studies, and Data Science. The Conservatory of Music has added Music Theater and Recording Arts and Production.</p><p>Recording Arts and Production,&nbsp;Financial Economics, and Communication Studies welcomed their first classes this fall. All other programs will be available to incoming students in fall 2025. Current College of Arts and Sciences students should reach out to the chairs of the new majors for information about adding a major in these new areas.</p><p>Music Theater is taking shape with the addition of an impressive roster of internationally known faculty and a state-of-the-art space created specifically for the program.</p><p>“I share in our faculty’s firm belief that this is not a time to back down from the programs that are foundational to our values as an institution,” says Carmen Twillie Ambar, President of 鶹Ƶ. “Just as important: This is the moment to double down on that commitment and to continually ask ourselves&nbsp;<em>Can we do more to prepare our students for success?</em> The arrival of these new majors offers a resounding answer: We can do more, and we are prepared to do just that. I applaud our faculty in both the college and conservatory for their visionary dedication to creating vital opportunities for our students.”</p><p>The seven new majors are designed to build upon 鶹Ƶ’s historic excellence in launching creative thought leaders from all walks of life.&nbsp;</p><p>“These new majors,” says David Kamitsuka, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, “build on 鶹Ƶ’s academic excellence and will equip our students to harness the power of their liberal arts education for an ever wider range of professional interests and 21st-century global challenges.”&nbsp;</p><p>The new majors also offer previously unimaginable combinations of study in the form of double majors and 鶹Ƶ’s popular Double Degree Program, through which students earn both a Bachelor of Arts in the college and a Bachelor of Music in the conservatory in five years or fewer.&nbsp;</p><p>“鶹Ƶ was the first institution in America to confer the Double Degree, and we welcome new opportunities to expand the potential range of multidisciplinary approaches made possible by the program,” says Dean of the Conservatory William Quillen. “Already, we are hearing from many of our conservatory students about their enthusiasm for pursuing the new college majors through the Double Degree Program.”&nbsp;</p><p>Learn more about the Double Degree on <a href="/admissions-and-aid/double-degree-program"><strong>鶹Ƶ’s Admissions website</strong></a>.</p><p>Click the links below to learn more about each program:</p><p><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business"><strong>Business:</strong></a>&nbsp;Business and finance are among the top fields pursued by 鶹Ƶ graduates. Through rich and varied courses and experiential learning opportunities, the Business major offers students the knowledge, skills, and experience to build, improve, and lead organizations in creating sustainable value. With signature programs such as Internship+, the Ashby Business Scholars, and the Impact Investment Advisory Group, Business at 鶹Ƶ includes high-impact opportunities for applying theoretical knowledge to real-world business challenges and tapping into 鶹Ƶ’s influential network of alumni connections spanning a wide range of industries.</p><p><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/writing-and-communication"><strong>Communication Studies:</strong></a> The program equips students to be ethical producers and discerning consumers of a comprehensive range of communications and communications mediums. Students analyze and deploy communication strategies to address the interpersonal, cultural, and political challenges facing pluralistic democratic societies today.</p><p><a href="/node/478422"><strong>Environmental Science:</strong></a> Students investigate the complicated relationships between humans and the environment and explore interdisciplinary, science-based solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow. The program is a companion to 鶹Ƶ’s popular Environmental Studies major, which approaches the subject from more cultural and sociological perspectives.</p><p><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/data-science"><strong>Data Science:</strong></a> Data informs virtually everything we do today: It fuels critical thinking for 21st-century challenges and unlocks insights across the natural and social sciences, business, the humanities, and beyond. The Data Science major prepares students to be evidence-based analysts and decision-makers in a constantly evolving world.</p><p><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/finance"><strong>Financial Economics:</strong></a> The program applies theoretic principles to extensive hands-on experiences with industry-standard software and data, preparing graduates for careers in a wide range of fields related to investment banking, asset management, venture capital, and more.</p><p>The conservatory major in <a href="/music-theater"><strong>Music Theater</strong></a> reinforces a longstanding tradition of 鶹Ƶ graduates who have transformed Broadway through their artistry. The program will debut in 2025 with a newly built home, outstanding faculty and staff, and a host of complementary resources.&nbsp;</p><p>The major in <a href="/recording-arts"><strong>Recording Arts and Production</strong></a>, available this fall, capitalizes on the extensive resources of the conservatory—including more than 500 on-campus performances each year and extraordinary recording and production facilities. Its expert faculty facilitate an understanding of the technical skills and aesthetic considerations that inform the craft of those at the leading edge of the profession and across a multitude of musical styles.</p><p>“These programs demonstrate our commitment to expanding the aperture of today’s conservatory education,” says Quillen. “Music Theater and Recording Arts and Production, while obviously distinct from one another, are unmistakably united in the ways they support our mission to prepare students for relevant and fulfilling careers across the professional music landscape of today and tomorrow. This has been a hallmark of an 鶹Ƶ Conservatory education throughout our 158-year history, and it is unquestionably more crucial today than ever before.”</p><p>Visit 鶹Ƶ.edu for more information about majors in the <a href="/arts-and-sciences/areas-of-study"><strong>College of Arts and Sciences</strong></a> and <a href="/conservatory/areas-of-study"><strong>Conservatory of Music</strong></a>.</p><hr><p><strong>ABOUT OBERLIN COLLEGE AND CONSERVATORY: </strong>Since its founding in 1833, 鶹Ƶ has led the nation in its commitment to educational access and opportunity. 鶹Ƶ was the first U.S. college to adopt a policy to admit Black students and grant undergraduate degrees to women alongside men.</p><p>Located at the heart of a bucolic Northeast Ohio town, 鶹Ƶ uniquely combines an outstanding pre-professional school of music with a leading undergraduate college of arts and sciences. 鶹Ƶ students hail from nearly every U.S. state and more than 50 nations. Our alumni include 15 MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellows, four Nobel Laureates, nine Pulitzer Prize recipients, and countless Grammy Award winners. In the last century, more graduates of 鶹Ƶ have gone on to earn PhDs than any other liberal arts institution.&nbsp;</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">New programs build on established successes, bolster resources to position graduates for meaningful careers.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-10-15T12:00:00Z">Tue, 10/15/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2583">College of Arts and Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2556">Admissions</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=187731">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=415031">Data Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=468173">Communication Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=476332">Music Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=184446">Recording Arts and Production</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25351">Environmental Studies and Sciences</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/david-kamitsuka" hreflang="und">David Kamitsuka</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/william-quillen" hreflang="und">William Quillen</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/carmen-twillie-ambar" hreflang="und">Carmen Twillie Ambar</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business" hreflang="und">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/finance" hreflang="und">Financial Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/data-science" hreflang="und">Data Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/writing-and-communication" hreflang="und">Communication Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/music-theater" hreflang="und">Music Theater</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-science" hreflang="und">Environmental Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">William Bradford</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/rs98511_oberlinfalldrone2018_15_of_225.jpg?itok=p_P2CJVG" width="760" height="570" alt="autumn scene of 鶹Ƶ campus from above."> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> Fri, 11 Oct 2024 17:31:25 +0000 eburnett 478859 at Jeff Witmer Wins 2024 Chauvenet Prize for Mathematics Writing /news/jeff-witmer-wins-2024-chauvenet-prize-mathematics-writing <span>Jeff Witmer Wins 2024 Chauvenet Prize for Mathematics Writing</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-06-03T17:02:56-04:00" title="Monday, June 3, 2024 - 17:02">Mon, 06/03/2024 - 17:02</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>鶹Ƶ Professor of Statistics <a href="/node/6031">Jeff Witmer</a> won the 2024 Chauvenet Prize, presented by the Mathematical Association of America for an exceptional expository article on a topic related to math.</p> <p>Witmer was honored for his paper “Simpson’s Paradox, Visual Displays, and Causal Diagrams,” which was published in the<em> American Mathematical Monthly</em> in 2021. The award was announced in late May, as Witmer was concluding his 38th year of teaching at 鶹Ƶ.</p> <p>“Simpson’s Paradox” refers to the phenomenon that inequality can hold for several groups of data, but reverse itself when the groups are combined into a single data set.</p> <p>According to the MAA: “Witmer’s article not only nicely illustrates the phenomenon but also shows the reader a useful technique for avoiding it: namely the use of causal diagrams. These diagrams give a methodical way to clarify the hypothesized causal link that is being tested and therefore determine which is the most appropriate way to look at the data.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Longtime professor lauded for exploration of “Simpson’s paradox.”</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-06-03T12:00:00Z">Mon, 06/03/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=415031">Data Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25401">Mathematics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/jeff-witmer" hreflang="und">Jeffrey (Jeff) Witmer</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/mathematics" hreflang="und">Mathematics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/data-science" hreflang="und">Data Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Jennifer Manna</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/rs65078_161004jeffwitmer_mg_9200.jpg?itok=i27kAKze" width="760" height="570" alt="Jeff Witmer."> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-32140" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--quotemark" data-text-color-red data-text-size-giant> <p>As an educator, I am always trying to find ways to help others understand important concepts—and to help myself better understand them. When I stumble upon an idea...the excitement energizes me.”</p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-27997" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>Witmer’s paper incorporates numerous real-life illustrations of Simpson’s paradox, including baseball statistics, airline on-time arrival rates, and <em>Titanic</em> survivors.</p> <p>“I was shocked, but delighted, to learn that I was receiving the Chauvenet Prize,” he says. “Simpson’s paradox has long been an interest of mine, and I was happy to write a paper that pulled together what I’ve&nbsp;learned about this topic over many years. But I never expected anything beyond the satisfaction of seeing my thoughts published.</p> <p>“As an educator, I am always trying to find ways to help others understand important concepts—and to help myself better understand them. When I stumble upon an idea, like the BK-plot, mosaic plot, or directed acyclic graph (DAG)—three key components of my paper—the excitement energizes me.</p> <p>“And to be clear: I didn’t create any of those ideas,” Witmer adds. “I merely borrowed them from others and used them in my paper.”</p> <p>First presented in 1925, the Chauvenet Prize is named for William Chauvenet, a former math professor at the United States Naval Academy and a leading architect of the institution.</p> <p>Learn more about the MAA and the Chauvenet Prize at the <a href="https://maa.org/chauvenet-prizes/">MAA website</a>. Witmer’s paper can be accessed via 鶹Ƶ College Libraries’ <a href="https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/faculty_schol/4463/">Digital Commons</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 03 Jun 2024 21:02:56 +0000 eburnett 472406 at