EDI Seminar: Dr. Sasha Johfre
June 4, 2026 @ 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Speaker: Sasha Johfre, University of Washington
Time: June 4, 1:30pm Atlantic Time.
Title: Justice-oriented applied statistics
Abstract: Statisticians and mathematicians occupy a powerful position in applied research, shaping what kinds of truths about the world can be produced. The privileged status of quantitative methods in scientific and public discourse, however, can foster methodological complacency, discouraging the very critical reflexivity that advances rigorous science. The social values embedded in statistical models, analytic choices, and measurement decisions are rarely made explicit, with real consequences for whether quantitative research can foster liberation and justice. In this talk, I argue that statistical rigor and social justice are not competing commitments, but mutually reinforcing ones. Drawing on my work as a sociologist and methodologist, I introduce conceptual and practical frameworks for thinking more precisely about real-world implications of quantification, with particular attention to where statisticians and mathematicians have genuine leverage. Throughout, I draw on empirical examples from my own research about social categories (e.g. gender, race, age, and body size) to ground these ideas in practice.
Meeting ID: 853 7688 3510
Passcode: 982219