Alan Karr named fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – The Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named RTI International researcher Alan Karr, Ph.D., as a fellow in recognition of his contributions to interdisciplinary statistical research, particularly for theoretical point processes, data confidentiality and software reliability. Karr currently serves as director of the Center for Excellence for Complex Data Analysis at RTI.

AAAS Fellows have made significant contributions to their respective fields and have made exemplary efforts to advance science or its applications. 

"Throughout his career, Alan has been instrumental in shaping the future of statistics," said Craig Hill, Ph.D., unit vice president for Survey, Computing, and Statistical Sciences at RTI. "Alan has taken on a lead role in furthering RTI's expertise in the field of complex data analysis." 

In addition to his role at RTI, Karr also serves as a senior advisor to the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study for the National Center for Education Statistics. This study is the primary source of information used by the federal government to shape public policy as it relates to student financial aid. 

Karr has published more than 140 scientific papers and written three books. He is a fellow of the American Statistical Association, the Institute of Mathematical Sciences and an elected member of the International Statistical Institute. 

Prior to joining RTI, Karr served as the director of the National Institute of Statistical Sciences for 14 years. He was also the assistant director of the National Institute of Statistical Sciences from 1992 to 2000 and spent roughly 20 years at Johns Hopkins University in the Mathematical Sciences Department.

Additionally, Karr was a professor in Statistics and Biostatistics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1993 until 2014, when he was named a Visiting Senior Research Professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

Karr has a doctorate degree in applied mathematics and both a master's and bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Northwestern University. 

Founded in 1848, the AAAS was the first permanent organization in the United States formed to nationally promote the development of science and engineering. The organization will honor its new Fellows at the AAAS Annual Meeting in February.