Professor Rachel McCrea, Head of Statistics at the University’s School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science (SMSAS) has been elected as a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.
The Learned Society of Wales is the national academy for arts, humanities and sciences. Fellows of the Society are elected across all academic fields to collaboratively promote research, inspire learning and contribute expertise.
Professor McCrea, who is an expert in statistical modelling, will work with other Fellows to provide independent policy advice, take part in public engagement events and help to shape the Society’s future work.
This Fellowship is a public recognition of excellence, with Professor McCrea acknowledged for her outstanding contribution to the world of learning and connection to Wales.
Professor McCrea’s research includes developing new methods for model selection and diagnostic testing for a class of models which are fitted to capture-recapture data. Capture-recapture studies involve the capture and unique marking of wild animals, which are then released back into the population; subsequently attempts are made to recapture them. Models can be used to estimate demographic parameters which are essential to understand the viability of the populations and drivers of population change.
More recently Professor McCrea’s research has moved into the related field of multiple systems estimation and she has worked on problems such as estimating the number of victims of human trafficking. This research direction has driven her passion for addressing complex issues associated with migration and she is the Sciences Theme Lead for the University’s Migration and Movement Signature Research Theme.
Of her election to the Fellowship, Professor McCrea said: ‘I am honoured to have had my academic achievements recognised by the Learned Society of Wales. This is particularly poignant as I was brought up in a Welsh family environment, attended school in Wales and strongly consider myself Welsh even though I was born in London!
‘I look forward as a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales to fostering even stronger connections between the University of Kent, the National Centre for Statistical Ecology and the Welsh statistical, mathematical and ecological communities.’