For more than 20 years, students from all walks of life have had the opportunity to jumpstart their successful careers in mathematics and biostatistics, thanks to the tireless efforts of mainstay SPH-B faculty member Javier Rojo, Ph.D.
Professor and Dean’s Eminent Scholar in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Rojo has been chosen as a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) for 2026.
AMS is a world-renowned professional organization, and less than one percent of its members are selected for this honor each year. The Fellowship is for life, and Rojo was nominated by William Yslas Vèlez, Ph.D., retired distinguished professor of mathematics at the University of Arizona and founding member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).
"I was especially surprised because while I am a member of AMS most of my career has been under statistics and biostatistics," says Rojo. "It is a huge society, and to be selected as a Fellow is a great honor for me."
One of Rojo’s most significant contributions to the advancement of statistics is his Research for Undergraduates Summer Institute of Statistics (RUSIS) program, which in 2026 will be celebrating its 23rd year. Consistently funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), RUSIS creates an opportunity for undergraduate students—many from minority groups—to get a head start on their career interests in statistics and biostatistics right here at SPH-B.
"I have been fortunate to be on Javier’s advisory committee and have attended many presentations by his student researchers," shares Vèlez in his letter of nomination. "The participants acknowledged that they had to work hard, yet they were joyful about the experience."
Vèlez praises Rojo’s commitment to RUSIS, successfully obtaining funding to run the program at four separate universities, and shepherding along a new generation of statisticians and mathematicians. Rojo has successfully been running it at IU Bloomington since 2021.
"At least 50 students from RUSIS have graduated with a Ph.D. in the mathematical sciences, and I believe that is the lower limit because those are just the students I have been able to stay in touch with," says Rojo. "There are 20 of them currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the mathematical and statistical sciences."
Rojo credits SACNAS as being a great resource for student recruitment in mathematical and statistical career fields from all walks of life, as well as for his RUSIS students to present their research.
"One of the great successes of SACNAS is that throughout the years people from different professional areas—not necessarily STEM—come to the conference and often leave with this seed planted in them to pursue careers in sciences, engineering and mathematics," says Rojo. "Everyone is welcome to attend, and when you bring in all these different cultures and backgrounds, it only enriches the environment."
Rojo appreciates Vèlez’s encouragement and his praise for his technical work and contributions to areas of extreme value theory, partial orders of probability distribution, and associated inference problems. Rojo is also Chair for the David R. Cox Foundations of Statistics Award, given by the American Statistical Association.
For more inspiring stories about SPH-B students, faculty, and staff making a difference, visit go.iu.edu/48bx.