Mary Ellen Bock Named for Violet Haas Award

04-10-2006

Congratulations to Mary Ellen Bock, Professor and Head of the Department of Statistics, on being named the recipient of the Violet Haas Award. Established in 1990, the award recognizes individuals, departments, or programs that have made a noteworthy effort on behalf of women, whether in hiring, promotion, education, salary, or generally enhancing a positive professional climate.

A statistics professor at Purdue since 1974, Bock was the key individual who helped develop the National Science Foundation-sponsored program Pathways to the Future Workshops. These workshops, usually held prior to the Joint Statistical Meeting, have been conducted since 1988. They give young female faculty an opportunity to come together and learn what is expected of academic researchers and ways to achieve these expectations.

"Because of Mary Ellen's dedication to establish these workshops, today there is a whole generation of young, successful women faculty who are making their presence felt in the statistical world," said Barbara S. Clark, director of the Science Diversity Office. "This generation includes the women in Purdue's Statistics Department, which is now made up of 33 percent women, up from 13 percent in 1997."

Bock became head of the Department of Statistics in the College in Science in 1995. She also served as director of the statistics program at the National Science Foundation from 1988-90. Bock is the 2006 President-Elect of the American Statistical Association.

The award, sponsored by the Council on the Status of Women, was named in honor of Violet Haas, professor of electrical engineering from 1962 until 1986, who provided a strong, positive role model for women, faculty, staff, and students. Her distinguished career was balanced by the equally important commitment Violet made to her husband, Felix Haas, her three children, and the community.

The Council on the Status of Women was formed in 1988-89 to create a voice for women at Purdue by studying existing university practices and procedures, and women's professional concerns. The group then makes proposals for adjustments and changes to the director of the Women's Resource Office and other university officials.

Professor Bock was honored at a reception hosted by The Council on the Status of Women on Friday, April 14, 2006 in Stewart Center, Room 204.