Regional Mathematics and Statistics Conference

Plenary Lecture 2024

KimberlyThis year’s plenary talk will be delivered by Dr. Kimberly Weems of North Carolina Central University. Dr. Weems is an associate professor and the interim chair of the Department of Mathematics and Physics at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Her primary research interests include flexible statistical models for the analysis of count data. She is active in STEM education and broadening participation initiatives, serving as co-chair of the Infinite Possibilities Conference and principal investigator of a collaborative math pathways project designed to improve outcomes for undergraduate African American men in gateway mathematics courses. Dr. Weems has received a Teaching Excellence Award from NCCU and NC State. In addition, she is the recipient of a Trailblazer Award from the University of Maryland Black Alumni Association.

 

Title: Beyond Poisson: Flexible Alternative Distributions for the Analysis of Count Data
Abstract:
The Poisson distribution is widely used for analyzing count data, but it is limited by its equi-dispersion assumption that the mean and variance are equal. The Conway-Maxwell-Poisson (COM-Poisson or CMP) distribution, a two-parameter extension of the Poisson distribution, accommodates a broad range of over- and under-dispersion. This flexibility makes the CMP distribution an attractive choice, beyond the Poisson or negative binomial, for modeling count data. This presentation will introduce the univariate CMP distribution and discuss the development of a bivariate CMP distribution along with some applications.  Interwoven in this talk will be a conversation about the presenter’s educational and professional journey.