Life is full of uncertainties, but less so, thanks to Mohsen Pourahmadi.
A professor of statistics, Pourahmadi develops mathematical tools that other researchers can use to predict future events with more certainty—from snowstorms to earthquakes.
His elegant theories, statistical analyses and complex algorithms also help researchers mine information from massive data sets, thus providing insights into such areas as genetics, engineering, finance, medicine and climate change.
Pourahmadi is known internationally for his research in the areas of prediction theory, time series analysis and longitudinal data analysis. In 2001, he authored an influential book bridging his areas of study using basic geometrical and regression-like techniques. His work has revived interest in these fields among scholars worldwide.
More recently, Pourahmadi succeeded in overcoming a previously unresolved mathematical obstacle in longitudinal data analysis. The work is important in such areas as medical and social studies, because it enables researchers to understand and harness the power of correlation in repeated measurements over time.
Pourahmadi earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University and began his career at NIU in 1981. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, while at the same time collaborating with researchers in Asia and Europe. He has served as a visiting scholar at Kuwait University and Hokkaido University in Japan and has presented invited talks at more than 50 conferences and institutions worldwide.
“Mohsen has carried the Northern Illinois statistics banner with distinction,” says Richard A. Davis, Howard Levene Professor of Statistics at Columbia University in New York. “He has developed an international reputation as one of the leading experts in time series analysis. He has made deep and fundamental contributions to statistics.”