ʵ

Skip to content
News

Recipient of the 2024 Chauvenet Prize Award Announced

The ʵ (MAA) is ecstatic to announce the 2024 Chauvenet Prize Award to Jeffrey Witmer. 

Chauvenet Prize Award

The Chauvenet Prize, named in honor of William Chauvenet, a mathematics professor at the United States Naval Academy, is an annual award given during the Association's annual meeting for an exceptional expository article on a mathematical topic.

About This Year’s Recipient

“Simpson’s Paradox” refers to the phenomenon that inequality can hold for several groups of data but reverse itself when the groups are combined into a single data set. Witmer’s article not only nicely illustrates the phenomenon but also shows the reader a useful technique for avoiding it, namely the use of causal diagrams. These diagrams give a methodical way to clarify the hypothesized causal link that is being tested, and therefore determine which is the most appropriate way to look at the data. The paper ends with a plethora of examples for the reader to consider, from sports statistics to SAT scores to the Titanic, providing something for everyone.

More information on the award and how to submit a nomination

About MAA The ʵ is the world’s largest community of mathematicians, students, and enthusiasts. We accelerate our understanding of our world through mathematics because mathematics drives society and shapes our lives. Learn more at .