David R. Cox Foundations of Statistics Award

I am pleased to share that Professor Peter McCullagh has received the 2026 Sir David R. Cox Foundations of Statistics Award, given by the American Statistical Association (ASA).  Below is the announcement from the JUNE 1, 2026 issue of AMSTAT NEWS.

Peter McCullagh to Give David Cox Foundations of Statistics Lecture

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For foundational contributions to statistical science that have shaped both the theoretical underpinnings and applied practice of the discipline across more than four decades, Peter McCullagh is the third recipient of the David R. Cox Foundations of Statistics Award, presented by the American Statistical Association. McCullagh will receive the award and deliver a lecture titled “What Is a Regression Model?” at the Joint Statistical Meetings in Boston Massachusetts at 10:30 a.m. on August 5.

McCullagh is the John D. MacArthur Distinguished Service Professor of Statistics at The University of Chicago. He is best known for co-authoring the textbook Generalized Linear Models, winner of the inaugural Karl Pearson Prize (now the Founders Prize) in 2013. His 1980 paper in the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series B on regression models for ordinal data introduced cumulative logit models that have found broad application across the biological and social sciences. The paper was selected as the JRSSB retrospective paper for presentation at the 2022 RSS International Conference, celebrating 50 years of the proportional hazards model. McCullagh has contributed four read papers to the Royal Statistical Society, underscoring the consistent originality and conceptual reach of his research.

Beyond generalized linear models, McCullagh has pursued a deeper foundational program to place statistical modeling on a rigorous logical and algebraic footing. His 2002 discussion paper “What Is a Statistical Model?” in the Annals of Statistics proposed an axiomatic framework in which treatment effects are defined as group elements perturbing outcome distributions from baseline, a formulation that exposes logical inconsistencies in much of the mainstream methodology literature. His monograph, Tensor Methods in Statistics, introduced algebraic tools for high-dimensional inference, while his 2022 book, Ten Projects in Applied Statistics, applies decades of statistical wisdom to challenging real-world problems, offering critiques of causal inference and statistical modeling. Throughout his career, McCullagh has exemplified the combination of theoretical depth and practical insight that characterized David Cox’s own approach to the discipline.

McCullagh’s influence extends across probability theory, biostatistics, and computational statistics. His contributions to quasi-likelihood, local sufficiency, approximate conditional inference, Cauchy-family parametrizations, and the structure of exchangeable arrays have shaped the field for decades. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and a recipient of the Guy Medal in Silver from the Royal Statistical Society. He was also recognized by COPSS in 1990 as an outstanding statistician under the age of 40.

The David R. Cox Foundations of Statistics Award was created in 2022 through an endowment by Deborah G. Mayo, professor emerita of philosophy at Virginia Tech.

For more information about the award and how to nominate someone see the announcement on ASA website.

$8,765.53 X 2

I want to extend my warmest thanks to all who became Friends of David R. Cox in 2022. Your generous donations to the David R. Cox Foundations of Statistics Award are honoring the contributions of David R. Cox, and promoting the importance of statistical foundations in the American Statistical Association (ASA):

Karim Abadir, Heather Battey, Yoav Benjamini, Stuart Bevan, Alex Blocker, John Bibby, Lynne Billard, Sheila M. Bird, William Browning, John Byrd, Nancy Cartwright, Michael P. Cohen, Noel Cressie, Robert Crouchley, Gary R. Cutter, Anthony C. Davison, Bianca De Stavola, Edgar, Dobriban, Christl Donnelly, Vern Farewell, Samuel Fletcher, David Firth, David Freeborn, Andrew Gelman, David J. Hand, Sylvia Halasz, Frank E. Harrell, Maria-Eglee Perez Hernandez, Klaus Hinkelmann, Michelle Jackson, Patricia A. Jacobs, Harold Jaffe, Bimal Jain, Christiana Kartsonaki, Robert and Loretta Kass, Jesse Krijthe, Daniel Lakens, Ji-Hyun Lee, Lei Liu, Francisco Louzada, Donald Macnaughton, Giovanni M. Marchetti, Kanti V. Mardia, Peter McCullagh, Xiao-Li Meng, Jean Miller, Georges A. A Monette, Pavlos Msaouel, David Oakes, David Oliver, Yusuke Ono, John Park, Jose G. Ramirez, Nancy Reid, James L. Rosenberger, Richard J. Samworth, Stephen J. Senn, Dylan S. Small, David M. Smith, Aris Spanos, Alex Sutherland, John Tomenson, Tengyao Wang, Ronald L. Wasserstein, Gideon Weiss, Manyu Wong, Henry L. Wyneken, Henry Wynn

We exceeded our increased goal (from $5,000-$7,500) last year, raising $8,765.53, all of which is being matched! * Continue reading →

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I’m not comfortable in the role of fundraiser, but I am comfortable in the role of promoting the importance of statistical foundations, and that’s how I see the David R. Cox Foundations of Statistics Award. Thus, I’m sharing the news the ASA sent out yesterday that we’re only around $300 away from our goal, and so the matching period has been extended until Dec 1. (We have $4,698.75 towards to $5,000).  Thus, I’m sharing the new news, updating what the ASA sent out yesterday: The fund is just at $6,000*, but all donations to the award until November 30, midnight (ESA) will still be matched unless $7,500. is reached before that. There is a “thermometer” on the donation page so that donors will know when we have reached that goal, however, on its first day on the job, the thermometer is malfunctioning slightly, failing to include around $500. It should be fixed tomorrow (this is outside my control). For gifts of $50 and above, you will be included in the following list of those recognized as “Friends of David R. Cox”: Continue reading →

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I’m posting two sets of slides on David R. Cox’s Foundations of Statistics given at the JSM 2023. First, Nancy Reid, inaugural recipient of the David R. Cox Foundations of Statistics Award, gave a talk: “The Importance of Foundations,” on August 9, and her slides are below. Second are the slides to my contributed talk, “David Cox’s Statistical Philosophy,” given on August 8. For the next two weeks, (up until September 30, 2023), donations to the Award are being matched (until $5,000 is reached). You can become a “friend of David Cox” by donating $50. We’re only a little over half way there as of now. Please see information about the award below our slides. Continue reading →