UL Lafayette hosts 2026 conference on statistics/combinatorics for first time

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has brought the 2026 International Conference on Advances in Interdisciplinary Statistics and Combinatorics to Louisiana for the first time, welcoming researchers from 25 states and four countries to campus. The biennial gathering marks a milestone for the state as experts in statistics, data science, and combinatorics convene to share research and explore emerging applications across disciplines.

The event provided a platform for emerging scholars, with two UL Lafayette graduate students earning top honors in the research poster competition. Azwaad Labiba Mohiuddin took first place and Mithun Ranjan Kar secured second place in the graduate division, which recognized six students from universities nationwide.

SPSTAt 2026 – International Conference on Statistics, Data Science, and Analytics

Graduate Students Earn Top Poster Honors

The competition placed UL Lafayette’s students at the top of the graduate division, with a peer from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earning third place. This honor highlights how the conference has long let students share their research with experienced professionals and build professional networks.

Biennial Conference Returns in 2028

Established in 2007, AISC draws researchers from mathematics, computer science, medicine, biology, economics, and public health to apply statistical methods to complex challenges ranging from health data analysis to artificial intelligence development. UL Lafayette will host the event again in fall 2028, with the 2026 conference supported by the National Science Foundation and Springer.

Leadership Perspectives on Statistical Research

Dr. Kumer Das, interim vice president for Research and Innovation at UL Lafayette and chair of AISC 2026, framed the hosting as part of the university’s mission as a Carnegie R1 research university. “Hosting AISC 2026 reflects the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s commitment, as a Carnegie R1 research university, to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and advancing discovery in an increasingly AI-driven world,” Das said.

Dr. Kathy Ensor, past president of the American Statistical Association and a professor of statistics at Rice University, stressed the discipline’s evolving importance. “From advancing AI to helping other disciplines ask better questions, statistical thinking will remain essential to turning data into wisdom and applying that insight to effectively solve real-world challenges,” Ensor said.

Dr. Sat Gupta, founder of AISC and professor emeritus of statistics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, highlighted the value of student participation. “AISC allows young student researchers an opportunity to offer oral presentations alongside these leading experts, giving student presenters an opportunity to network with these experts,” Gupta said. “I’m grateful that UL Lafayette is continuing this tradition.”

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