Purdue statistician honored with Career Development Award
03-27-2026
Heejong Bong, assistant professor of statistics in the College of Science at Purdue University, has received the Career Development Award from the Korean International Statistical Society (KISS), recognizing early-career researchers for their contributions and potential in statistical science.
The award highlights statisticians in the early stages of their careers who have demonstrated strong productivity through research and service, along with the promise of making meaningful contributions to the field. Bong was selected alongside other emerging scholars from institutions across the United States.
“I am deeply honored to receive the KISS Career Development Award, particularly given the many outstanding young Korean researchers in the field,” Bong said. “This recognition is very meaningful to me as an early career researcher, and I am grateful for the support and mentorship of my colleagues and collaborators. It is both encouraging and motivating as I continue to develop my research and teaching in causal inference at Purdue.”
The KISS Career Development Award is open to active members of the society who are within seven years of completing their highest degree. Recipients are selected through a competitive process that evaluates research accomplishments, future goals and letters of support.
Bong’s work focuses on causal inference, a branch of statistics that aims to better understand cause-and-effect relationships in complex data. His research and teaching contribute to Purdue’s growing strengths in data science and statistical innovation.
The award includes a recognition plaque and travel support to attend the Joint Statistical Meetings, one of the largest gatherings of statisticians worldwide.
About the Department of Statistics at Purdue University
Our mission is to advance the frontiers of statistical sciences and data science in both theory and applications; to provide learning environments that produce well-educated data scientists, statisticians, probabilists, and quantitatively literate people; and to join with others in bringing the strengths of the statistical sciences to address societal needs. The Department offers the degrees of Bachelor of Science, Graduate Certificate, Master of Science, Online Master of Applied Statistics, and Ph.D. in Statistics. Our programs prepare students for careers in both industry and academia and prepare them to be leaders in their fields. The Department of Statistics is part of the College of Science at Purdue University and is housed in the Mathematical Sciences Building in West Lafayette, Indiana. Learn more about the department at stat.purdue.edu.
Written by: Alisha Willett, Communications Specialist, amwillet@purdue.edu
Contributors: Heejong Bong, bong0@purdue.edu