Recent years have seen significant advances in the theoretical foundations and the practice of statistical methods including weighted empirical process, efficient and adaptive estimation, time series analysis with applications to econometrics and finance, censored data and sequential analysis, and minimum distance and robust methods.

The conference will focus on both recent developments and challenges in these areas, with an emphasis on what is needed to push the research forward in the coming years. The conference will serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas between junior- and senior-level researchers, applied and theoretical statisticians, both within and outside of academia.

In addition, the conference will recognize Hira Koul's fundamental contributions to these areas, which have come through his own research, his mentoring of students and young researchers, and his tireless editorial work. A banquet on Friday, May 16 will celebrate Hira's 65th birthday.