Chair's Message

A Warm Welcome to PSTAT

Congratulations and welcome to the Department of Statistics and Applied Probability (PSTAT) at UCSB! On behalf of our faculty and staff, we're thrilled to have you join us.

You've chosen a fantastic time to study fields like Actuarial Science, Data Science, and Probability and Statistics. Last year alone, over 500 undergraduate students earned degrees from our three programs: Statistics and Data Science, Actuarial Science, and Financial Mathematics and Statistics. That's more than five times the number from a decade ago, which shows just how much these fields have grown.

Our department is home to a dynamic group of faculty who are at the forefront of their fields, conducting innovative research supported by grants from organizations like the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and various companies. We also collaborate with other departments across campus, including Computer Science, Economics, and Mathematics, to advance statistics education. We're especially excited to welcome three new faculty members: Professors Kathryn Grace, Tianyu Zhang, and Annie Qu.

You can explore our faculty's diverse research interests on our department website. Our Actuarial Science program has been designated a Center of Actuarial Excellence by the Society of Actuaries, and we also host the Center for Financial Mathematics and Actuarial Research (CFMAR) and the Data Science Consulting Laboratory. Many of our faculty are also key players in the campus-wide Data Science Initiative. We hope you'll take full advantage of these resources to build your skills and your network.

To get the most out of your time here, we highly recommend getting involved in extracurricular activities. You can join our student clubs—the Actuarial Association and Data Science Club. Consider participating in undergraduate research through capstone projects, independent studies, or the CFMAR undergraduate lab. You can also explore the UCSB Work-Study program and various internship opportunities. Our students are always sharing amazing experiences with us, and we can't wait to hear about yours this year!

Welcome again, and I look forward to meeting you.

Best regards,

Tomoyuki Ichiba

Professor and Department Chair

September 2025