Skip to Content

Search: {{$root.lsaSearchQuery.q}}, Page {{$root.page}}

Michael Woodroofe Lecture Series

Bob Keener delivers the Introduction of the Michael Woodroofe Lecture Series.

The Michael Woodroofe Seminar Series is sponsored by the Department of Statistics in recognition of Emeritus Professor Michael B. Woodroofe’s profound contributions to the profession and to the Department of Statistics at the University of Michigan.

Michael Woodroofe retired from his distinguished career as the L. J. Savage Professor of Statistics and Mathematics at the University of Michigan in 2009. An eminent scientist in both statistics and probability, Professor Woodroofe made deep and pioneering contributions in many areas, including nonparametric inference, biased sampling, isotonic inference, sequential analysis, and statistics in astronomy. His seminal work in sequential analysis and non-linear renewal theory influenced an entire generation of researchers. He has published more than 100 research articles, written a SIAM monograph, and authored a book. A total of 40 Ph.D. students have completed dissertations under his direction, and he remains active in research and teaching today.

Professor Woodroofe has received many honors and has served our professional community in many ways, including his roles as Editor of the Annals of Statistics (1992–1994), Advisory Editor of JSPI since 1994, and Associate Editor of the Annals of Statistics, the Annals of Probability, JSPI, and Sequential Analysis. He has been a member of the IMS Council (two terms), a member of numerous federal granting and advisory panels, and an invited/distinguished lecturer at multiple universities and national and international conferences. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics and an elected member of International Statistical Institute.

Michael Woodroofe received his B.S. in Mathematics from Stanford in 1962, his M.S. in Mathematics from the University of Oregon in 1964, and his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Oregon in 1965. He joined the Department of Statistics at Carnegie Mellon University as an assistant professor in 1966 and moved to the Department of Mathematics at the University of Michigan in 1968. He was a founding member of the Department of Statistics at the University Michigan in 1969, retaining a joint appointment with Mathematics, and served as Chair of the Department of Statistics from 1977–1983.

Past Woodroofe Lecturers