Statistical Society of Australia upcoming events

SSA Vic & Tas and MLAI Seminar: Initial attack models for triage & Fire suppressant drop impact (16 Jun 2026)

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:00:00 GMT

The Victorian and Tasmanian Branch of the Statistical Society of Australia and the Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence (MLAI) Meetup are holding a joint in-person event on Tuesday 16 June. SSA Vic & Tas members Elena Tartaglia and Ping Siriamnat will be presenting talks on their work done in the Data Science team in Bushfire and Forest Services with the Victorian government's Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

Date: Tuesday 16th June 2026

Venue: Community Hub at the Dock, 912 Collins St, Docklands

Agenda:

6:00 - 6:20: Socializing
6:20 - 6:40: Announcements and AI news
6:40 - 7:40: Talk(s) and Q&A
7:40 - 8:00 Networking
8:00: Head to the nearest pub for dinner

More details via the MLAI Meetup Page

"Do initial attack models work for triage?" - Dr Elena Tartaglia

Abstract: Initial attack refers to the first set of firefighting actions undertaken at a newly reported fire, with the aim to control the fire’s spread. When multiple fires are reported and resources constrained, decisions need to be made about triaging fires for an escalated response. We developed empirical initial attack models for grass and forest fires for the specific purpose of triaging fires. Using a recently developed dataset of spreading fires, we tested three statistical modelling techniques to estimate the probability of unsuccessful initial attack. We assessed the models' performance and how practical it would be to use them in an operational setting using statistical techniques and case studies. In this talk, we will discuss how the models have limited skill overall and are unable to distinguish fires where bottlenecks affect the initial attack suppression. We will highlight the importance of taking an application specific approach to developing and validating initial attack models. A preprint of this work can be found on bioRxiv.

Speaker Bio: Dr Elena Tartaglia is a Principal Data Scientist at the Victorian government Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), where she has worked for the past three years in Bushfire and Forest Services (BFS). BFS works to keep Victorians and the things they care about safe from bushfires, through land management actions and by responding to bushfires on public land. Elena and her team use statistics and machine learning to support data-driven decision-making in BFS. Elena is also the current President of the Victorian and Tasmanian Branch of the Statistical Society of Australia.

"Impact of fire suppressant drops on fire severity" - Ping Siriamnat

Abstract: One of the common suppression methods of bushfires is aerial drops, but there is limited research on its effectiveness. Aerial drops refer to aircraft flying over a fire and dropping water or fire suppressant to slow or stop the spread of the fire. Through the National Aerial Firefighting Centre, aircraft attending to bushfires in Australia are tracked, so we have data on when and where drops were done, along with what type of suppressant was used and how much. In this project, we investigated the impact of drops on fire severity by measuring the association between drops and fire severity level, as calculated by the Arthur Rylah Institute, accounting for the influence of terrain steepness and land cover characteristics.

Speaker Bio: Ping Siriamnat is a Master of Business Analytics graduate (Monash University) and previously interned at DEECA in the DAIS Data Science team. Across his projects, he applies statistical methods and machine learning models, alongside his business acumen, to transform data into actionable insights. He has a strong interest in market analytics, business strategy, and applying data science to uncover opportunities and improve the performance of strategic decisions.

No registration is needed. We hope to see you there!

SSA and NZSA Mentoring Program Professional Skills Webinar Series. Webinar 3: Robust reproducible research (18 Jun 2026)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Join us for the SSA Mentoring Program Professional Skills Webinar Series, which in 2026 will be co-delivered with the NZSA Mentor Programme. This online professional development series is invaluable to statisticians who are looking to improve and enhance their skills in communication, time and project management.

Webinar 3:

Robust Reproducible Research

Presenter: Dr Simon Tuke, University of Adelaide

Date and Time: Thursday 18 June 2026, 12:00pm (AEST)

Abstract

“You did an analysis for me two years ago, well I have some new data to add to it”. Welcome to the world of statistical consulting. So how do we get from WTF to no hassle? In this webinar, we will look at some of the tools of the trade to ensure that the analysis you do today will make sense to future you. Topics covered with be project structure; version control; using quarto; and leaving breadcrumbs. Come along and see if there is anything that the presenter does, that you could steal.

Presenter's Bio - Dr Simon Tuke

Dr Tuke started his career as a veterinarian. After 12 years, he headed back to university to study maths and ended up with a PhD in statistics. He now lectures in statistics at the University of Adelaide and strongly believes that everyone should know stats.

Webinars:

Webinar 1: Thursday 23 April 2026 12:00pm (AEST). Building a team, one person at a time - A/Prof David Price, Doherty Institute
Webinar 2: Thursday 7 May 2026 11:00am (AEST). Effective networking as a statistician - Prof Kelley M Kidwell, University of Michigan
Webinar 3: Thursday 18 June 2026 12:00pm (AEST). Robust reproducible research - Dr Simon Tuke, University of Adelaide
Webinar 4: Thursday 30 July 2026 12:00pm (AEST). Unlock your Mentoring Potential - Lisa Thomasen, Fonterra, New Zealand

Fees:

Mentoring program participants – Free (both SSA and NZSA) Registration code required
Non SSA/NZSA Members – $60.00
SSA/NZSA Members – $30.00

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations received prior to two weeks before the event will be refunded, minus the Stripe processing fee (1.75% + $0.30 per transaction) and an SSA administration fee of $20.

From then on, no part of the registration fee will be refunded. However, registrations are transferable within the same organisation. Please advise any changes to events@statsoc.org.au.

SSA VIC & TAS Branch Mentoring Event (25 Jun 2026)

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:00:00 GMT

The Victorian and Tasmanian Branch of the Statistical Society of Australia is hosting an engaging mentoring event for early career and student statisticians in June. In this speed-networking style event, small groups of mentees will rotate between experienced mentors to hear about diverse career pathways, ask practical questions, receive career advice, and build meaningful professional connections in statistics.

Date: Thursday 25 June 2026

Time: 7:00 - 9:30 pm (AEST)

Venue: Multipurpose Room 1, Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre, 251 Faraday St, Carlton VIC 3053 Google map link

Format: In person

Fees:

SSA Members – $5.00
Non Members – $30.00

Catering, including a light dinner, will be provided.

If you are awaiting SSA membership approval or wish to apply and register for this event as an SSA member, please contact the SSA office at contact@statsoc.org.au. The office can assist in expediting the review of your membership application.

Key Learnings from attending event:

By attending this mentoring event, early career and student statisticians will gain valuable insights into the many career pathways available in statistics and related fields. Through interactive small-group conversations with experienced mentors, participants will be able to ask practical questions, learn from real career experiences, receive tailored advice, and expand their professional networks. Attendees will leave feeling more informed, connected, and confident about their next steps in the statistical profession.

Mentors Bios:

Gebsio Roba Debele, Biostatistician and Researcher, Deakin University
Jason Rennie, Data Scientist, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
Lizzie Silver, Senior Data Scientist, WSP Digital
Lyle Gurrin, Professor, University of Melbourne
Stella Stylianou, Associate Professor, RMIT University
Teresa Dickinson, Deputy Australian Statistician

Full mentor details and bios will be added soon.

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations received prior to two weeks before the event will be refunded, minus the Stripe processing fee (1.75% + $0.30 per transaction) and an SSA administration fee of $20.

From then on, no part of the registration fee will be refunded. However, registrations are transferable within the same organisation. Please advise any changes to events@statsoc.org.au.

SSA Biostatistics & Bioinformatics Section Webinar: Continuous-Time Stochastic Process Models of Animal Movement (2 Jul 2026)

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 01:00:00 GMT

The Biostatistics & Bioinformatics section of the Statistical Society of Australia invites members to a a presentation titled "Continuous-time stochastic process models of animal movement" delivered by Dr. Christen Fleming, head of the Ecoinformatics Lab at the University of Central Florida and Nozomu Hirama, PhD student in the Ecoinformatics lab at the University of Central Florida

Date: Thursday 2 July 2026

Time: 9:00 am (AWST)

Format: Online via Zoom. Details provided upon registration

Abstract: Continuous-time stochastic process models of animal movement

Animal tracking data are key inputs for modeling space use, habitat suitability, and behavior. In this talk, we detail the structure and estimation of continuous-time stochastic process movement models and animal-location probability density functions for these irregular timeseries. We show how autocorrelation models and autocorrelation-informed statistical methods are necessary for conservation biology and wildlife management, and we discuss current research on non-stationary processes.

Key Learnings from attending webinar:

Previous methods—that assume tracked locations are independent from one time to the next—have been shown to underestimate animal space use by factors of 2-20 on average, depending on the method and species.

Presenter Bio: Dr. Christen Fleming , University of Central Florida

Dr. Christen Fleming heads the Ecoinformatics Lab at the University of Central Florida, which works on the development and application of analytic methods for ecological, environmental, and evolutionary data, with a strong focus on addressing conservation needs. The general aim of the Ecoinformatics Lab is to resolve how abundant, yet complex data be used to inform conservation and management, through the combination of mathematical, statistical, and computational approaches. The research interests of the Ecoinformatics Lab include animal movement, species distribution, phylogenetic evolution, and population dynamics. This research is highly interdisciplinary, in nature, and involves collaboration with applied mathematicians, statisticians, physicists, and computer scientists, and making heavy use of stochastic processes, mathematical statistics, numerical analysis, and scientific computing.

christen.fleming@ucf.edu

Presenter Bio: Nozomu Hirama, University of Central Florida

Nozomu is a PhD student in the Ecoinformatics lab at the University of Central Florida. His research focuses on developing non-stationary animal movement models for examining behavioral changes using tracking data, with applications to animals with diel and seasonal activity patterns, as well as migratory and dispersal species.

nozomu.hirama@ucf.edu

Data Science SIG Monthly Catch Up (9 Jul 2026)

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The Data Science SIG's monthly catch up is a place to share any ideas, challenges, cool tech, or anything else data science-related.

Each month we'll come with something new to discuss, but anyone is welcome to lead the discussion. Just let the DSSIG committee know!

The monthly meeting catch ups will be held via Zoom on the 2nd Thursday of each month, 2:00 - 3:00 PM (AEST).

Zoom link

2026 Dates

Thursday 11 June 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 9 July 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 13 August 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 10 September 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 8 October 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT
Thursday 12 November 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT

ICOTS -12th International Conference on Teaching Statistics (12 Jul 2026)

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

The 12th International Conference on Teaching Statistics (ICOTS 12), to be held in Brisbane, 12–17 July 2026, will be the first time ICOTS will be hosted in Australia.

We are delighted to announce the ICOTS 12 keynote speakers:

• Prof Mine Çetinkaya–Rundel – Duke University

• Prof Dianne Cook – Monash University

• Emeritus Prof Sir Peter Donnelly – Genomics PLC, University of Oxford

• Prof Rob Gould – UCLA

• Dr Elena Proden – UNITAR

These outstanding speakers will bring a wealth of expertise and perspectives to ICOTS 12, setting the stage for an inspiring and thought-provoking program.

Key dates:

• Abstract submission deadline: 31 August 2025

• Notification of acceptance: 30 September 2025

• Optional refereed paper submission deadline: 30 November 2025

• Final papers (refereed and non-refereed) due: 30 April 2026

All accepted abstracts will appear in the official Conference Program and online Proceedings. Oral presenters are encouraged (but not required) to prepare a full paper for the Proceedings. Refereed papers will be clearly labelled as such.

For more information, please visit: https://icots12.oa-event.com

We look forward to welcoming you to Brisbane in 2026 for this landmark event in statistics education!

SSA and NZSA Mentoring Program Professional Skills Webinar Series. Webinar 4: Unlock your Mentoring Potential (30 Jul 2026)

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 02:00:00 GMT

Webinar 4:

Unlock your Mentoring Potential

Presenter: Lisa Thomasen, Fonterra, New Zealand

Date and Time: Thursday 30 July 2026, 12:00pm (AEST)

Abstract

Mentoring can be a gamechanger for many individuals, with participants from both the SSA and NZSA Mentoring Programs sharing the benefits they’ve experienced. Every mentoring relationship is unique, with experiences varying widely. This session will explore some of the key differences between mentoring relationships with a focus on formality, longevity and preparation including tips on how to customise your mentoring relationship to make mentoring work for you.

Presenter's Bio - Lisa Thomasen

Lisa Thomasen has been a consultant statistician in industry for the past decade and is currently lead research statistician at Fonterra in New Zealand. Her work includes modelling milk powder functionality, analysing cheesecake performance, and investigating consumer preferences of yoghurts. Lisa co-ordinates the New Zealand Statistical Association (NZSA) mentoring program and was the 2024 recipient of the NZSA Campbell Award for her advocacy for students, early-career, and professional statisticians alongside her mentoring and community-building initiatives in this space.

Webinars:

Webinar 1: Thursday 23 April 2026 12:00pm (AEST). Building a team, one person at a time - A/Prof David Price, Doherty Institute
Webinar 2: Thursday 7 May 2026 11:00am (AEST). Effective networking as a statistician - Prof Kelley M Kidwell, University of Michigan
Webinar 3: Thursday 18 June 2026 12:00pm (AEST). Robust reproducible research - Dr Simon Tuke, University of Adelaide
Webinar 4: Thursday 30 July 2026 12:00pm (AEST). Unlock your Mentoring Potential - Lisa Thomasen, Fonterra, New Zealand

Fees:

Mentoring program participants – Free (both SSA and NZSA) Registration code required
Non SSA/NZSA Members – $60.00
SSA/NZSA Members – $30.00

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations received prior to two weeks before the event will be refunded, minus the Stripe processing fee (1.75% + $0.30 per transaction) and an SSA administration fee of $20.

From then on, no part of the registration fee will be refunded. However, registrations are transferable within the same organisation. Please advise any changes to events@statsoc.org.au.

Data Science SIG Monthly Catch Up (13 Aug 2026)

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The Data Science SIG's monthly catch up is a place to share any ideas, challenges, cool tech, or anything else data science-related.

Each month we'll come with something new to discuss, but anyone is welcome to lead the discussion. Just let the DSSIG committee know!

The monthly meeting catch ups will be held via Zoom on the 2nd Thursday of each month, 2:00 - 3:00 PM (AEST).

Zoom link

2026 Dates

Thursday 11 June 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 9 July 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 13 August 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 10 September 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 8 October 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT
Thursday 12 November 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT

Data Science SIG Monthly Catch Up (10 Sep 2026)

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The Data Science SIG's monthly catch up is a place to share any ideas, challenges, cool tech, or anything else data science-related.

Each month we'll come with something new to discuss, but anyone is welcome to lead the discussion. Just let the DSSIG committee know!

The monthly meeting catch ups will be held via Zoom on the 2nd Thursday of each month, 2:00 - 3:00 PM (AEST).

Zoom link

2026 Dates

Thursday 11 June 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 9 July 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 13 August 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 10 September 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 8 October 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT
Thursday 12 November 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT

Data Science SIG Monthly Catch Up (8 Oct 2026)

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 03:00:00 GMT

The Data Science SIG's monthly catch up is a place to share any ideas, challenges, cool tech, or anything else data science-related.

Each month we'll come with something new to discuss, but anyone is welcome to lead the discussion. Just let the DSSIG committee know!

The monthly meeting catch ups will be held via Zoom on the 2nd Thursday of each month, 2:00 - 3:00 PM (AEST).

Zoom link

2026 Dates

Thursday 11 June 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 9 July 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 13 August 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 10 September 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 8 October 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT
Thursday 12 November 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT

Data Science SIG Monthly Catch Up (12 Nov 2026)

Thu, 12 Nov 2026 03:00:00 GMT

The Data Science SIG's monthly catch up is a place to share any ideas, challenges, cool tech, or anything else data science-related.

Each month we'll come with something new to discuss, but anyone is welcome to lead the discussion. Just let the DSSIG committee know!

The monthly meeting catch ups will be held via Zoom on the 2nd Thursday of each month, 2:00 - 3:00 PM (AEST).

Zoom link

2026 Dates

Thursday 11 June 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 9 July 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 13 August 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 10 September 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEST
Thursday 8 October 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT
Thursday 12 November 2026 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM AEDT