RSS statistical ambassadors


The RSS statistical ambassadors programme provides training and support to early-career professional statisticians to help them improve their skills and confidence in talking about statistics in public – to the media, schools and wider public. To date, they have given media interviews, created and participated in public events, helped journalists and press officers understand probability, data analytics and other statistical issues, written popular articles, and much more.

For further information on the programme, to contact the ambassadors and for media queries, please email our Head of Media & External Relations.

  • First cohort

    Twelve statistical ambassadors were selected for the first cohort from thirty-two high calibre applications in October 2014. They received two days' training and telephone group mentoring sessions, with experts including David Spiegelhalter, Timandra Harkness, Lucie Green, Sujata Kundu, Kevin McConway, Dorothy Bishop and Nicola Osborne.

    Andrew James Williams, University of Exeter Medical School
    David Beckett, Office for National Statistics
    Deirdre Toher, University of the West of England 
    Elizabeth Williamson, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
    Hugo Pedder, National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health
    Ilaria Prosdocimi, University of Bath 
    Jamie Sergeant, University of Manchester 
    Jennifer Rogers, University of Oxford 
    Jonathan Hope, Health and Social Care Information Centre 
    Rob Mastrodomenico, Global Sports Statistics 
    Robert Cuffe, BBC News

    Mike Holmes was a statistical ambassador from October 2014 until March 2016. He remains active within the Society.

  • Second cohort

    The second cohort of ten statistical ambassadors were selected in April 2016 from twenty-six high calibre applications. They received two days of training and worked with first cohort to develop their skills and reach out to the wider public and media.

    Aoibheann Brady, University of Bath
    Liam Brierley, Coventry University 
    Susan Connolly, MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge
    Rhian Davies, Arctic Shores 
    Penelope Donohue, Forest Research 
    Michael Dunne-Willows, Newcastle University 
    Todd K. Hartman, University of Sheffield 
    Johanna Hutchinson, The Pensions Regulator 
    Liberty Vittert, University of Glasgow 
    Simon R. White, MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge

  • Third cohort

    Norma Bargary, University of Limerick
    Catey Bunce, King’s College London
    Chloe Gibbs, Office for National Statistics
    David Hodge, University of Nottingham 
    Joy Leahy, Trinity College Dublin 
    Darren Macey, University of Cambridge Mathematics 
    Anthony Masters, Nationwide Building Society 
    Brooks Paige, Alan Turing Institute & University of Cambridge 
    Lucy Teece, Keele University 
    Graham Wheeler, University College