Professor Agnes Herzberg is the 2014 recipient of the Lise Manchester Award. This biennial award is given by the Statistical Society of Canada in commemoration of the late Dr Lise Manchester’s abiding interest in using statistical methods to study matters of relevance to society. The award recognizes excellence in statistical research which considers problems of public interest and which is potentially useful for formation of Canadian public policy.
Agnes Herzberg obtained her PhD from the University of Saskatchewan. She spent her early career in the Department of Mathematics at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, and more recently in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Queen’s University, where she is currently a Professor Emeritus. Agnes has a long and distinguished record of research in experimental design and applied statistics. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, she was at the forefront of research on rotatable response surface designs. She also contributed extensively to the theory of optimal experimental design. In the past two decades, Agnes has made substantial contributions in methodological areas such as model selection, robust designs and experimental design for medical experiments as well as her contributions to the application of statistics in public policy.
In 1999 Agnes was awarded the SSC Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her long and excellent service to the Society and to the development of the statistical sciences in Canada as well as the International Statistical Institute’s Henri Willem Methorst Service Medal. She was president of the SSC in 1991-1992 and was elected to the Royal Society of Canada in 2008. Agnes was named an Honorary Member of the SSC in 2007. She has held offices in a number of statistical societies, and had editorial responsibilities in several top journals. As president of the SSC, she inaugurated a series of sessions on Science and Statistics, bringing to the annual meetings distinguished scientists, social-scientists and journalists.
For 19 years, starting in 1996, Agnes Herzberg has organized the annual Conference on Statistics, Science and Public Policy selecting topics ranging through science, public policy, education, risks, ethics, health, globalization and democracy for discussion among a selected group of scientists, policy makers, journalists, heads of regulatory agencies and other influential participants. She has been responsible for the editing and publication of the 19 conference proceedings to inform public policy.
Because of her vision, courage, and sheer hard work, through these conferences and their publications, she has made a most unique and significant contribution.
“To Agnes Herzberg, for bringing together statisticians, scientists, politicians and public servants from Canada and around the world annually since 1996 to tackle problems at the intersection of statistics, science and public policy at the Conference on Statistics, Science and Public Policy focused on creating a network of experts to discuss current and emerging issues of topical interest and improve public policy to deal with them.”