Yili Hong appointed to Data Science Faculty Fellowship
Yili Hong, professor of statistics in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, has been appointed to the Data Science Faculty Fellowship.
The Data Science Faculty Fellowships were established by the College of Science in 2021 to enhance the national and international prominence of Virginia Tech faculty in this field. The fellowships provide support for outstanding scholarship in data science or the application of data science techniques within and across disciplines.
Hong joined the Department of Statistics in 2009 as an assistant professor. He currently serves as professor and co-director of the VT Statistics and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Hong’s role in shaping the future of data science is demonstrated in multiple ways with research designed to address three fundamental questions: how to collect data, how to interpret data, and how to use data to predict the future, which are the core tasks at the heart of data science.
His research spans engineering statistics, machine learning/computing, and biostatistics. In engineering statistics, his work emphasizes reliability analysis, particularly the reliability and safety of artificial intelligence systems. In machine learning, he focuses on developing robust algorithms and enhancing computational efficiency. In biostatistics, he investigates survival analysis, longitudinal data analysis, and spatial data analysis.
Hong has authored over 100 publications in leading journals, including the Journal of the American Statistical Association, Annals of Applied Statistics, Technometrics, and the Journal of Quality Technology. He has served as an associate editor for Technometrics, Journal of Quality Technology, and Quality Engineering. Hong has received numerous accolades including the 2011 DuPont Young Professor Award, the 2016 Frank Wilcoxon Prize in Statistics, and the 2024 Søren Bisgaard Award in Quality Engineering. He is also an elected member of the International Statistical Institute.
Hong received his bachelor’s degree in statistics from University of Science and Technology of China and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in statistics from Iowa State University.