Professor Michael L. Stein
Distinguished Professor
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
The 2023 Founders of Statistics Prize for Contemporary Research Contributions is awarded to Professor Michael L. Stein 1999 book
Professor Michael L. Stein is selected as the recipient of the 2023 ISI Founders of Statistics Prize for Contemporary Research Contributions for his 1999 book, “Interpolation of Spatial Data: Some Theory for Kriging". Professor Michael L. Stein is a Distinguished Professor at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
Stein’s book has had and continues to have a profound impact on spatial statistics, most prominently in theory, but also methodology and applications. Its influence extends beyond spatial statistics into other areas in which Gaussian processes are prominently used, including machine learning and computer experiments. Despite being published over 20 years ago, references to the book, currently more than 4000 citations, are at their peak and have even increased in each of the last 4 years. It is broadly cited not just in the statistics and machine learning literatures, but also in a wide range of scholarly journals in disciplines including the geosciences, physics, chemistry, engineering, marketing, ecology and epidemiology. This book has fundamentally transformed spatial statistics and statistical applications of Gaussian processes, and its far-reaching impact will continue for years to come. It richly deserves the recognition of ISI Founders of Statistics Prize.
The contribution recognized by the Founders of Statistics Prize must be a research article book published within the last three decades. Each Founders of Statistics Prize for Contemporary Research Contributions selection committee comprises of renowned statisticians from around across the world. The prize is given biennially at the ISI World Statistics Congress.
The inaugural prize was given to Professor Robert Tibshirani at the 63rd ISI World Statistics Congress 2021-Virtual in July 2021.
ISI is grateful to Elsevier Publishers for their continuous sponsorship of the Prize.
We have an outstanding winner of the 2023 Founder of Statistics Prize. On behalf of ISI,
we send our best congratulations for this remarkable work and achievement.
About the Founders of Statistics Prize for Contemporary Research Contributions
The Founders of Statistics Prize for Contemporary Research Contributions in collaboration with Elsevier Publishers is given in honour of the Founders of Statistics. It recognizes a research contribution that has had profound influence on statistical theory, methodology, practice, or applications. The contribution must be a research article or book published within the last three decades. The prize is given biennially at the ISI World Statistics Congress (WSC). It comprises a cash prize of 5,000 euros and travelling expenses to the WSC for the winner to present the Founders of Statistics Lecture.
We are grateful for the outstanding work of the 2023 Founders of Statistics Prize for Contemporary Research Contributions Selection Committee, chaired by Kerrie Mengersen, who have reviewed with expertise and thoroughness all nominations. The ISI appreciates the excellent work and support of the selection committee members.
