Grace Wahba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grace Wahba
|
|
|---|---|
Grace Wahba in 1986
|
|
| Born | August 3, 1934 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Stanford University University of Maryland, College Park Cornell University |
| Known for | generalized cross validation, smoothing splines |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics, statistics, machine learning |
| Institutions | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Thesis | Cross Spectral Distribution Theory for Mixed Spectra and Estimation of Prediction Filter Coefficients |
| Doctoral advisor | Emanuel Parzen |
| Doctoral students |
|
Grace Wahba, born on August 3, 1934, is an American statistician. She used to be a professor of statistics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is famous for creating ways to make sense of "noisy data". This is like finding clear patterns in information that has lots of messy bits.
She is best known for her work on "generalized cross-validation" and "Wahba's problem". Her ideas have helped in many areas. These include studying populations, teaching computers to learn (called machine learning), understanding DNA microarrays, predicting risks, looking at medical imaging, and even forecasting weather and climate.
Grace Wahba's Life Story
Grace was interested in science from a young age. When she was in junior high, she got a chemistry set. At that time, she also wanted to become an engineer.
She went to Cornell University for her first degree. In 1952, Cornell and Brown University were the only Ivy League schools that accepted women. When she was there, women had many rules, like having to live in a dorm and having a curfew.
Grace earned her bachelor's degree from Cornell in 1956. She then got her master's degree from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1962. She worked in different jobs for several years. Later, she earned her highest degree, a doctorate, from Stanford University in 1966. In 1967, she settled in Madison.
She wrote a book called Spline Models for Observational Data. Grace retired from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in August 2018.
Awards and Recognition
Grace Wahba has received many honors for her work. She was chosen to be a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1997. In 2000, she became a member of the National Academy of Sciences. These are very important groups for scientists.
She is also a fellow of several other academic groups. These include the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Statistical Association. Being a "fellow" means she is recognized as an expert in her field.
Over the years, she has received many special awards in statistics:
- The R. A. Fisher Lectureship in August 2014.
- The Gottfried E. Noether Senior Researcher Award in August 2009.
- The Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies Elizabeth Scott Award in 1996.
- The first Emanuel and Carol Parzen Prize for Statistical Innovation in 1994.
She also received special "honorary" Doctor of Science degrees. These were from the University of Chicago in 2007 and The Ohio State University in 2022. An honorary degree means a university recognizes someone's great achievements.
In 2021, the Institute of Mathematical Statistics created a new award and lecture series. It is named the IMS Grace Wahba Award and Lecture, in her honor.
See also
In Spanish: Grace Wahba para niños
