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New Zealand Statistical Association Newsletter 67

Science Fairs - Farewell to Jenny Mason

For many years the NZSA and Statistics New Zealand have been sponsoring prizes for the best use of statistics in a science project by school students competing in the regional science fairs around the country. Many members of the society will have helped occasionally in judging at one or more of the now 24 fairs that are held every year. Perhaps not many will know that, as Science Fairs Convenor, Jenny Mason has been coordinating this effort since the mid-1990s, easily the longest-running continuous service in any role within the Association. Her tireless efficiency in this work has been greatly appreciated by everyone involved.
Jenny left Statistics New Zealand recently and has decided that it is time to pass the convenor’s job on to someone else. Tim Hawkes at SNZ has agreed to take over. The Association wishes to acknowledge her long-lasting contribution to this means of promoting statistics in schools and in the wider community. Thank you, Jenny!

Tim adds:

“A chance meeting at an athletics competition has led to me taking over the reins of the Science Fair coordinator role for the NZSA from Jenny Mason. I am excited about getting stuck into my role as I begin to make contact with the regional Science Fairs for 2008.
“I would like to thank all those who assisted as judges of the NZSA and Statistics New Zealand awards for best use of statistics in a science project in 2007. Should anyone be interested in becoming involved in judging in 2008, please email me (tim.hawkes@stats.govt.nz). I expect to be in contact sometime in the next few months with those judges from last year who expressed an interest in being involved this year.
“Finally I would like to thank Jenny Mason for all her hard work as the science fair coordinator over these past years and I hope to continue to perform the role to a high standard.”