Statistician, Sara Hilditch, has been named the recipient of the prestigious Royal Statistical Society Chambers Medal for her “outstanding service.”
Sara, who is the Director of the Statistical Services Unit (SSU) - a specialist advisory unit within the School of Mathematics and Statistics - has been awarded the accolade which is handed out just once every three years to a Fellow for outstanding services to the Society.
Not only has Sara worked as secretary and treasurer of the Sheffield group of the society for many years - ensuring it remains a lively and effective institution - she also took a leading role in the hosting of the RSS national conference at Sheffield in 2014 and stayed on the conference board for four years afterwards to share her experience.
In 2018 Sara became Honorary Officer for membership, launching the new membership strategy and appointed RSS Diversity Champion.
Speaking about her award, Sara said “Being able to contribute to my profession and the statistical community is in itself rewarding. But in a year where the value of statistics to society has become more apparent than ever, I’m delighted to have been honoured by the RSS.”
Sara still volunteers at the conference each year and together with the welcome events she hosts for new RSS Fellows and her committee work with the local group, she continues to promote the Society to find the next generation of volunteers and advocates.
Professor Sylvia Richardson, RSS President and Chair of the Honours Committee, said: “This year’s recipients have made a profound contribution to both the discipline and to the Society. Their work is a splendid showcase of the impact that statistics can have. On behalf of the Honours Committee, I would like to give my congratulations to them all.”
Sara will receive her award in a ceremony during the RSS annual conference in Manchester in September 2021.
The SSU is a specialist advisory unit within SoMaS, which provides statistical consultancy service to clients from both within the University and a diverse range of external organisations.