March 27, 2012
 
 
Dr. P.K. Sen accepts an honorary degree from his alma mater. Photo courtesy University of Calcutta.

Dr. P.K. Sen accepts an honorary degree from his alma mater. Photo courtesy University of Calcutta.

Pranab K. Sen, PhD, Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of biostatistics at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Calcutta on March 22.

 
Sen, who is also professor of statistics and operations research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, accepted the award in Calcutta, India.
 
“This is a singular honor and very rare for statisticians,” said Michael Kosorok, PhD, chair of the department of biostatistics at UNC.
 
During his 47 years at UNC, Sen has made pioneering, profound and legendary contributions to nearly every area of statistics. His research interests include order statistics, nonparametrics, robust inference, sequential methods, asymptotics, biostatistics, clinical trials, bioenvironmental studies and bioinformatics.
 
“I am overwhelmed with this honor from my own alma mater,” Sen said, “and I accept it with humility. I have my full education from this university, the oldest and most elite one in India. I wish I could share this honor with my reverend teachers, none of whom are alive now. It is their inspiration that put me in the right perspective, and apart from my late mother, who put all her support behind my education and growing up, no one would have been happier with this unique honor.”
 
Sen has more than 600 research publications, has authored or co-authored 14 books and monographs, and has edited or co-edited 12 more volumes. In addition to his research contributions, he has supervised more than 80 doctoral students, many of whom have achieved national and international distinction.
 

Sen was made an honorary lifetime fellow of the International Indian Statistical Association (IISA) in 2000 and was selected as the 2011 recipient of the IISA Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (1968), the American Statistical Association (1969) and the International Statistical Institute (1973).

 
In 2010, Sen was selected for the American Statistical Association’s Samuel S. Wilks Award to honor his contributions to statistics in general and nonparametrics, as well as his dedicated service to the profession through numerous editorial activities, publications, and outstanding mentorship of several generations of statisticians. He also received the School’s McGavran Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1996 and the 2002 Senior Noether Award presented by the American Statistical Association for life-long achievements in research and teaching.
 
After receiving his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in statistics from the University of Calcutta, Sen taught for three years at his alma mater and for one year at the University of California, Berkeley, before joining the UNC faculty in 1965. During his tenure, he has served as a visiting professor at universities all over the world, but continues to call Chapel Hill his home.
 
Read more about Sen’s path to becoming a world-renowned statistician and his work in a 2008 interview published in Statistical Science.
Photos from the University of Calcutta award ceremony can be found online.

 

UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Linda Kastleman, communications editor, (919) 966-8317 or linda_kastleman@unc.edu.

 

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