JMP had a successful week at the recent Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM), reinforcing its position as a leader in statistical software. As a platinum sponsor, JMP had a strong presence, with a dedicated team of employees who presented, networked, and connected with thousands of statisticians from around the world.
The event attracted more than 4,000 statisticians from academia, industry, and government, making it the largest gathering of its kind in North America.
JMP’s presence at JSM is a crucial investment in the company's future. It serves as a powerful reminder to the statistical community that JMP is a major player in the field. This not only builds brand awareness, but also fosters valuable collaborations with scholars, helps the company learn about cutting-edge research and helps in recruiting top talent. “JSM is a great opportunity for JMP’s research and development staff to stay current on trends and new statistical methods in the field and to connect with academic colleagues at institutions we have close partnerships with,” Senior Analytics Software Tester James Koepfler (@JamesK4) said.
Engaging with the community
The JMP team conducted dozens of software demonstrations and met with countless current and potential customers at the JMP booth, which was in a prime spot near the expo entrance. “While interest was diverse, two areas stood out: the company's new LLM initiatives and the JMP Student Edition,” Global Academic Programs Director Curt Hinrichs (@curt_hinrichs) said. “Many visitors expressed that their companies and universities are actively exploring ways to use AI technology.”
Hinrichs said leads from the conference have been uploaded to Salesforce and routed to their territories.
Student Edition was also well-received, as it provides a timely and attractive alternative for colleges facing budget constraints or who previously struggled to secure a site license. “We met with 20 faculty who will seriously consider JMP use in their courses,” Hinrichs said.
A prestigious session on Structural Equation Modeling
JMP's expertise was also on display in a highly anticipated session co-organized by Senior Research Statistician Developer Laura Castro-Schilo (@LauraCS) and Analytics Software Tester Haley Yaremych (@Haley_Yaremych) titled "Structural Equation Modeling: Foundations, Recent Developments, and Applications." Yaremych gave an introductory presentation on SEM, while Castro-Schilo’s talk focused on the advantages of the MIIV-2SLS estimator, a new feature in JMP Pro 19's SEM platform.
Being selected for this session was a great honor for Castro-Schilo and Yaremych, as the program has very few spots for invited sessions, and the selection process is highly competitive. This recognition of the significance and quality of their proposed presentations allowed them to represent JMP to a large audience.
“We were honored also to have Dr. Doug Gunzler of Case Western Reserve University, who spoke about the intersection of SEM and system dynamics modeling, Dr. Ken Bollen, a renowned name in SEM, serve as the discussant and provide valuable insights, and Dr. Kris Preacher as the session chair,” Yaremych said. “The session was well-attended, sparking thoughtful questions and discussion from an engaged audience.”
Yaremych and Castro-Schilo with Dr. Doug Gunzler, Dr. Ken Bollen, and Dr. Kris Preacher.Yaremych and Castro-Schilo with Dr. Doug Gunzler, Dr. Ken Bollen, and Dr. Kris Preacher.Yaremych and Castro-Schilo with Dr. Doug Gunzler, Dr. Ken Bollen, and Dr. Kris Preacher.Yaremych and Castro-Schilo with Dr. Doug Gunzler, Dr. Ken Bollen, and Dr. Kris Preacher.
JMP-led panel sparks discussion
One of the highlights of the event was a panel session titled "The Unique Challenges of Working in Statistical Software Development." Organized by Statistical Documentation Manager Michael Crotty (@michael_jmp) and chaired by Koepfler, the panel featured JMP panelists Advanced Analytics R&D Director Ryan Lekivetz (@Ryan_Lekivetz), Principal Research Statistician Developer Laura Lancaster (@Laura_Lancaster), Senior Analytics Software Tester Jacob Rhyne (@jacob_rhyne), Senior Statistical Writer Colleen McKendry (@cozmck ) and Principal Analytical Technical Support Engineer Adam Morris (@AdamMorris).
The session highlighted the various roles within statistical software development, from feature consideration and development to testing, documentation, and customer support.
"The panel generated good discussions with the audience," said Crotty. "We hope to build on the momentum of the session and take the panel to various graduate programs to improve our pipeline for technical talent throughout JMP!"
Lancaster added, “JSM provided a great opportunity for the JMP statistical development team to collaborate on a panel meant to introduce and enlighten statisticians on what it’s like to work in statistical software development.”
The panel of JMP speakersThe panel of JMP speakersThe panel of JMP speakersThe panel of JMP speakers
Interns showcase research
JMP's impact extended beyond the booth and the panel. Three of the company's talented graduate students, graduate research assistant Sohyeon Kim (@BivariateFawn91), and summer interns, Kexin Xie (@kexinxie) and Simin Zheng (@sizhen), were accepted to give professional talks at the conference, covering topics in DOE and statistical modeling. This provided students and junior staff with a valuable opportunity to showcase their important work to professionals across the field, representing both JMP and their respective universities. Their contributions are vital to both the technical field and the JMP software that the company develops.
Every attendee also received a conference bag with the JMP logo, providing the company with great brand exposure throughout the event. This successful JSM reaffirms JMP's commitment to the statistical community and underscores the value of its ongoing engagement.
