Información de la American Statistical Association (ASA):
We are thrilled to announce Grace Wahba is the winner of the prestigious 2025 International Prize in Statistics for her groundbreaking work on smoothing splines, which has revolutionized data analysis and machine learning.
The prize recognizes a major achievement by an individual or team in the statistics field, particularly a seminal contribution to knowledge that led to practical applications and breakthroughs in other disciplines.
Wahba is an American statistician and retired I. J. Schoenberg-Hilldale Professor of Statistics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her pioneering contributions to nonparametric regression and the development of algorithms for noisy data laid the foundation for modern machine learning techniques such as gradient boosting and neural networks. Known as “the mother of smoothing splines,” her work continues to influence fields from climate science to medical imaging.
A pathfinder who opened doors for future generations, Wahba’s legacy includes mentoring future leaders and receiving honors such as membership in the National Academy of Sciences. In 2021, the Institute of Mathematical Statistics established the Grace Wahba Award and Lecture in her honor.
The International Prize in Statistics is awarded every two years by five leading international statistics organizations. Congratulations, Grace Wahba, on this well-deserved recognition!
More information about Grace Wahba in: https://www.statprize.org/
