Shili Lin

Florence Nightingale was a pioneer in data visualization and the founder of modern nursing. As the creator of the pie chart used universally in data visualization to this day, she used data in a novel and effective way to provide better care for wounded soldiers in the Crimean War and improve public health more broadly.

To honor Nightingale’s legacy, Florence Nightingale Day was launched in 2018 to engage students, promote future career opportunities in statistics and data science, and celebrate the contributions of women to these fields. The fifth annual celebration spanned six months (October 2022 – April 2023) and took place across the following sites in the US and Canada:

• October 22, 2022: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• October 29, 2022: The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas (virtual cohost)
• February 3, 2023: Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute and Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
• February 18, 2023: Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute Ontario and the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• April 22, 2023: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Pre-college students (ages 13 and above) from around the world attended these events either in person at one of the sites or virtually through the Ohio State University/University of Texas event. They participated in hands-on activities and engaged with professional career and student panels focusing on varied themes.

The Florence Nightingale Day for Statistics and Data Science is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that works with its partners and sponsors to expand the event to sites around the globe. Learn how you can get involved and host an upcoming event.