Statistical Challenges in Modern Astronomy VIII
June 12-16, 2023
The Statistical Challenges in Modern Astronomy (SCMA) conference is truly cross-disciplinary — presentations by invited scholars of astronomical and data sciences are mixed in a program that pursues both scientific and methodological goals.
Themes include statistical modeling of astronomical phenomena, discovering hidden astronomical signals, and enhancing the roles of machine learning for astrophysical insights. The SCMA VIII conference is being held at a critical moment in time, as astrostatistical efforts are thriving around the world with increasing impact on the broader research enterprise.
SCMA VIII will be held in person at Pennsylvania State University from Monday, June 12 through Friday, June 16, 2023.
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Program Information
Keynote speakers:
Kyle Cranmer (Department of Physics, Data Science Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Xiao-Li Meng (Department of Statistics, Harvard University)
Invited speakers:
Sara Algeri (Department of Statistics, University of Minnesota)
Justin Alsing (Department of Physics, Stockholm University)
Thomas Cass (Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London)
Yang Chen (Department of Statistics, University of Michigan)
Yen-Chi Chen (Department of Statistics, University of Washington)
Jessi Cisewski-Kehe (Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Maya Fishbach (Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of TorontoToronto)
Francisco Förster (Center for Mathematical Modelling, University of Chile)
Ann Lee (Department of Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University)
Peter Melchior (Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University)
Jeffrey Regier (Department of Statistics, University of Michigan)
Joshua Speagle (Department of Statistical Sciences, David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto)
Kaze Wong (Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institution)
Call for Abstracts
The abstract submission for either contributed talks or posters is open until March 5th, 2023.
Registration Information
Registration Deadline: May 12th, 2023
Registration Fee: $200
Shortly after the registration is submitted, a receipt will be sent to the email address given on the registration form. Invoices are available upon request.
Refunds and Cancellations:
Refunds will be issued for cancellation by the registrant if we receive your notification in writing by May 12th, 2023.
A $50 administrative fee will be charged for all cancellations. Refund requests made after that time will not be honored.
The University may cancel or postpone any course or activity because of insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances. If a program is canceled or postponed, the University will refund the full registration fees but cannot be held responsible for any other related costs, charges, or expenses.
Local Information (Lodging and Travel)
The Statistical Challenges in Modern Astronomy VIII conference will be held on the Pennsylvania State University’s University Park Campus, located in State College, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
The town of State College and the university campus combine to offer a relaxed, college town atmosphere with many shops, restaurants and points of interest. Recreational opportunities abound including fine golf courses, tennis courts, gymnasiums and swimming facilities. For maps and tourism information, visit the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau.
Accommodation:
A limited number of rooms with negotiated rates have been set aside at the following locations. A specific instruction about how to book a room would be provided here, once the hotels set up their own methods to accommodate the conference participants. Downtown State College hotels are within walking distance to the Life Sciences building (where the conference will be held), and to varieties of eateries. Check with the hotels for their cancellation policies. The stated rates are basic room rates. Taxes will be additional.
Scholar State College, Tapestry Collection by Hilton (USD $114)
205 E Beaver Ave
State College, PA 16801
T: +1 814-778-0300, ext 317
Click to check the distance from the hotel to the conference location (Huck Life Sciences Building).Reservations can be made by either calling Central Reservations at 1-800-445-8667 and referencing the group name (PSU Astrostatistics) in addition to the code ATR or going online at https://www.hilton.com. When booking online, guests will need to type in group code ATR to ensure that they receive the group discount. Once the dates of stay are selected, there is a drop down tab labeled “Special Rates” where the guest will type in the three digit code into “Group Rate”. The cutoff date for booking reservations is May 19, 2023.
Hyatt Place State College (USD $114)
219 W Beaver Ave
State College, PA 16801
T: +1 814-862-9808
Click to check the distance from the hotel to the conference location (Huck Life Sciences Building).Reservations can be made by either calling Central Reservations at 1-888-492-8847 and referencing the group name (PSU Astrostatistics) in addition to the code G-ASTS or going online at https://statecollege.place.hyatt.com. When booking online, guests will need to type in group code G-ASTS to ensure that they receive the group discount under the “Corporate or Group Code” option from the drop-down menu (which is listed as the last one) beneath the dates. Individual reservations do not go through Hyatt Sales, so please use the phone number above or the website for booking. The cutoff date for booking reservations is May 19, 2023.
Air travel:
Delta, United, and American Airlines serve the University Park Airport (airport code SCE) located six miles from State College PA and Penn State’s University Park campus. Connections can be made through Newark (EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), and Chicago – O’Hare (ORD). We highly recommend booking a flight to SCE as ground transportation from other cities is not easily arranged. Please keep in mind that there are not many seats on flights to SCE, and so please book the flight well ahead of the travel date. Car rental is available at the airport but is not needed. Uber and Lyft can be used from the airport to the hotels.
Ground travel:
Route I-99 connects State College with I-80 and I-70. The campus is within driving distance of many major cities, including Harrisburg (1.5 hours, 90 miles); Pittsburgh (2.5 hours, 137 miles); Philadelphia (3.5 hours, 194 miles); Baltimore (3.5 hours, 155 miles); Washington, D.C. (4 hours, 190 miles); and New York City (5 hours, 250 miles). Greyhound and Megabus bus services are available from major cities to State College, Pennsylvania.
Visa information:
International participants arriving from outside the United States with passports from many countries in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) who have machine-readable passports may be able to travel without a visa. However, a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval is required for all participants in VWP to travel to the United States. ESTA is a free, automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the VWP. Please click here for details about VWP and ESTA. Participants from other countries will need a B-1 (business) visa or B-2 (tourist) visa.
Note: Obtaining U.S. visas may require a visit to a U.S. consulate or embassy, payment of a fee, and significant wait time. Please contact the local U.S. consulate or embassy for the up to date information.
Letter of invitation:
Individuals requiring an official letter of invitation in order to attend the conference may write to Hyungsuk Tak at tak@psu.edu. This may be needed to obtain a visa or permission to attend the meeting, and is unrelated to any assistance. Please include your name, professional title, business address, phone number, and e-mail address. The letter will be provided as a read-only email attachment. Note: a letter of invitation is provided only after the individual has completed registration.
COVID-19
Penn State University encourages visitors to wear masks indoors during the conference. Participants must inform the conference organizers if they test positive for COVID-19. We encourage participants to arrive with COVID-19 vaccinations and to take care to mitigate infection during travel. For further advice, see University guidance here.
Summer School in Statistics for Astronomers XVIII (June 5-9, 2023)
Graduate students and researchers in astronomy are invited to attend the 18th Summer School in Statistics for Astronomers, hosted by the Penn State Center for Astrostatistics.
The summer school will be held in person at Penn State from June 5-9, 2023, just before the SCMA VIII research conference. Details of the program are available on the summer school website here.
Lectures and tutorials will be presented by a team of experienced professors in statistics, astronomy, computer science, and informatics. Instruction will be interspersed with hands-on analysis of astronomical data, with opportunities for in-depth discussion of methodological issues.
Scientific Organizing Committee
Emille Ishida (CNRS/Laboratoire de Physique de Clermont, Université Clermont-Auvergne), co-chair
Chad Schafer (Department of Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University), co-chair
Hyungsuk Tak (Departments of Statistics, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Pennsylvania State University), co-chair
Ashley Villar (Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Pennsylvania State University), co-chair
François Lanusse (CNRS, the French National Centre for Scientific Research)
Joel Leja (Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Pennsylvania State University)
David van Dyk (Statistics Section, Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London)
Local Organizing Committee
Eric Feigelson (Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University)