‘The many hats we wear in stats’ – Statistics Webinar for Second Level Students

Dr Niamh Cahill says, “Have you ever thought to yourself, “Ugh statistics is so boring!” Well I have. But guess what? Now, I’m a statistician. So how did that happen? In this talk, I’ll tell you how I went on a rollercoaster ride with my relationship with mathematics and statistics and how it ultimately became something that I love. I’ll explain how I went from being a student at Maynooth to being a lecturer there. I’ll talk about my research interests and my various “stats hats”, ranging from working with Geologists to Demographers, from thinking about climate change to contraceptive use, from writing computer code in Kildare, to collecting mud cores in New Jersey, from reconstructing data backwards to projecting data forwards, and everything in between. I’ll hopefully give you some insight into what it’s like being a statistician, why it’s such an important job and why it’s actually really far from boring. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll convince you to choose your own “stats hat” one day.”

Niamh Cahill is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Maynooth University. She enjoys lecturing in a range of topics including Data Science, Data Analysis and Bayesian Analysis. She has research interests in climate change, where she applies statistical analysis techniques to learn about sea level rise. She also works on reproductive health research to learn about contraceptive use in the world poorest countries. She publishes regularly in peer reviewed journals and enjoys collaborating with other researchers from the United States, The United Kingdom and Singapore.