CCAS Honors the American Statistical Association with 2025 Arts & Sciences Advocacy Award

The Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) presented the 2025 Arts & Sciences Advocacy Award to the American Statistical Association (ASA) during the organization’s 60th Annual Meeting, held last week in St. Louis, Missouri. The award was accepted by Ron Wasserstein, Executive Director of ASA.

Each year, the CCAS Board of Directors recognizes an individual or organization whose work demonstrates outstanding advocacy for the arts and sciences and reflects a deep commitment to the enduring value of liberal arts education. Previous recipients include The Phi Beta Kappa Society (2008), Freeman Hrabowski, former president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (2022); Joy Connolly, president of the American Council of Learned Societies (2023); and Lynn Pasquerella, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (2024).

Founded in 1839, the American Statistical Association is the world’s largest community of statisticians and data scientists, advancing research, education, and public understanding of statistics. Under Wasserstein’s leadership, ASA has become a national voice for the ethical use of data, the integrity of federal statistical agencies, and the central role of evidence-based reasoning in a healthy democracy.

“ASA’s advocacy has been steadfast and visionary,” said Shaily Menon, president of CCAS, in presenting the award. “Through its defense of federal statistical agencies, its efforts to strengthen statistical education, and its leadership on data ethics and transparency, ASA has shown how deeply the liberal arts are intertwined with civic trust and democratic engagement.”

ASA’s advocacy efforts include safeguarding the independence of federal statistical agencies—such as the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and National Center for Education Statistics—advancing K–16 statistics education reform and promoting sustained investment in scientific research. Its 2024 report, The Nation’s Data at Risk, stands as a testament to ASA’s ongoing commitment to protecting the integrity and independence of federal statistics.

The award presentation took place during the opening ceremony of the CCAS 60th Annual Meeting, themed Resilience, Perseverance, and Community. The event brought together hundreds of deans and academic leaders from across North America for four days of professional development, discussion, and recognition of exemplary leadership in higher education.

Past recipients of the CCAS Arts & Sciences Advocacy Award can be found here.