Dear Aya:

We are both members of a generation who studied statistics in the 1960s, and both of us in our own way has tried to apply our models and methods in real world settings.  But we are also of a generation that shared personal experiences as well as professional ones.  Indeed I have fond memories of visits to Haifa---to the Technion and to your home.

Your impact on the field of statistics is measured for me, not so much by publications, and even by our professional interactions, but at least as much it is embodied in my interactions with those you have influenced, especially the students you have trained, and the values they have carried from you.

I look forward to our continued interaction, both professional and personal, while at the same time hope that you get to enjoy the other activities that retirement will now allow you to indulge.

Best,

Steve.

A Statistical Inspiration

Aya:

Where would I be without you? Where would so much of my research be?

Simply said -- we -- me and my research -- would be lost without you. In so many cases my students and I could not make sense of our own data. And you found a way. So many studies would have remained unfinished without you. Of course it was always my own fault -- I myself managed to create a research design in which I could not sort through the statistical complications. But you were there for me -- you managed to salvage my mutant data.

You are always there, knowledgeable about the most appropriate way to frame and comprehend methodological or statistical issues. Always eager and able to be helpful. I am not sure you are aware how grateful I am about this. I want this blog to convey my deeply felt gratitude and appreciation.

You have also been nice, kind and warmly welcoming throughout my time at the Technion. You have always made me feel so welcome, so connected, so real. In the very industrial, technical, mathematical culture of our faculty the people are too often lost. Thank you for continuing to remind us that good work can be done amidst an aura of warmth, pleasantness, welcome.

In your terms - you been have a Highly Significant Inspiration for me about doing top quality social science research while also being a nice person.

I know we will continue to see you at the faculty, and I am grateful for that. I also wish you many more years of enjoying your work and your family.

Much love,

Anat

Best wishes to Aya from the Kettenring family

Hi Aya!

Your impending retirement brings back fond memories of the Cohen family visits, long and short, to Bell Labs and Bellcore. Our shared interests in applied statistics created a strong bond but even more important were our fun times together, which always included a parade of stories about our growing families. This was topped off for Pat and me by your hosting in Haifa of our daughter, Karin, during her internship in Israel. (Karin has just begun an appointment as an assistant professor at Utah State University in Logan, UT.)

This past week I was reviewing some of our ancient joint work on visualizing distances among objects in ways that reveal clusters in multivariate data. Work of this kind is still important. After your retirement, you should have more time to reflect on the big problems in life, such as this one!

Having preceded you in retirement by several years, I am sure you will find much fulfillment and more time for things that are at the top of your priority list.

Pat and I send along our best wishes and look forward to our next get together.

With warmest regards,

Jon

Aya, Congratulations and Memories

Memories of Aya and Elisha go back some 40 years, to their visits to Bell Labs.  They both were welcome visitors, in statistics and physics research, and happily returned several times.  They also became dear friends, the kind you can meet again after a long absence and feel that no time has elapsed, but how good to be together again.

My respect and affection for Aya as a colleague and, more, as a person have not dimmed.  Even though our technical interests might not seem to have much in common, Aya's concern for what matters in applying statistics to real problems resonates deeply, and I believe has shaped her influence as a teacher and inspirer of students.

So welcome to retirement, Aya.  It's fine, as long as you can keep on doing things that are fun and maybe useful.  And the advantage is that people can't as easily tell you what those things are!

Every best wish,

  John and Bea

A tribute

40 years after studying statistics of particles in Physics, it was time to study statistics of humans. Well, there was a book in Hebrew at the store which looked readable, by one Aya Cohen. I bought it, and then even took her class. Amazingly, this arcane topic was understandable! Later on Pnina and I befriended the couple Aya and Elisha, and knowing this really nice couple explained all. So keep up the good work, Aya, and enjoy "retirement" life with Elisha and family!
Pnina and Raphi Klein

aya and applied statistics in israel

when i think of applied statistics in israel aya is almost a synonym.

i believe we first met almost 30 years ago at bell laboratories when she was there with her husband.

at that time, applied statistics had strong advocates such as john tukey, george box and bill hunter, to name a few.

over time, more disciplines have started developing data analysis techniques and, "applied statistics" is now practiced and developed by computer scientists, physicists, engineers, biologists etc...

applied statistics in israeli academia has always been a minority. the interest of most ISA members is in theoretical developments, just look at the talks given at the annual conference.

aya has always been keen to help promote applied statistics. her talks at the ISA conferences and elsewhere have always been outsdaning demonstrations of what applied statistics with the highest standards looks like.

it is now understood by many that a proper mix of theory and application needs to be reached and i believe aya has the key to this.

given all that, i suggest that aya has a critical role to play in the future of statistics in israel. she is one of those unique individuals that can help the profession reach the right balance. and we need such help.

i wish her a good retirement with health and "nahat" from her close ones and hope she will help us achieve the right balance. what she can offer is critical to academia and industry in israel.

good luck in your next steps and looking forward to continued collaboration.

best,

ron kenett

From Jacqueline Asscher

I first met Aya when I came to work as an assistant at the Statistics Laboratory shortly after coming to Israel. She was very kind to me, inviting me to her home and treating me like an adoptive mother. Aya gave me some very useful advice, for example I always remember that she told me to be a good daughter-in-law!

Aya is a remarkable statistical consultant. One of my first memories of working with her is of watching her casually jot down a complicated model during a meeting and thinking to myself “wow, how did she do that so fast?” Looking back, I now say “wow, how can she identify the statistical issues and what is worrying the clients and how to make them feel they are in good hands and even the dynamics between them?”

Aya is also a wonderful teacher. The people that are writing here are her colleagues, graduate students and teaching assistants, but many of her biggest admirers are the students who took just one compulsory course with her. Some of them don’t even love statistics (sad but true) but years later they remember her fondly as a lecturer who brought the subject to life with interesting examples from her own work and presented it with clarity and insight.

Aya, I wish you frosty weather, good health and free-flowing chi in your retirement.

Jacqueline Asscher