Mary Ellen Bock Honored as Woman Pioneer at Purdue University
08-04-2006
Mary Ellen Bock, Professor and Head of the Department of Statistics, was honored by Purdue's Council on the Status of Women as one of fifteen women pioneers at Purdue. A luncheon was held on August 30, 2006 at the home of Purdue President Martin C. Jischke and his wife, Patty, to honor the women pioneers.
The honors, created this year by the Council on the Status of Women, raise awareness about female contributions to Purdue. Fifteen women were chosen from more than 90 submissions. Among the recipients are Amelia Earhart and Lillian Gilbreth. Professor Bock is one of the five living honorees.
Mary Ellen Bock was the first woman to become a full professor in the Department of Statistics and has served as Head of the Department since 1995. Under her leadership, the department has grown from 13 percent women faculty to 33 percent today. Bock was instrumental in securing National Science Foundation funding to develop "Pathways to the Future" workshops to help young female faculty succeed in academia. These workshops, usually held prior to the Joint Statistical Meeting, have been conducted since 1988. She is President-Elect of the American Statistical Association.