“In both cases, you are trying to pursue a positive future not just for yourself, but also for other people,” Freund said.

This fall, he will be enrolling in at the University of Cambridge. Freund is to be selected as part of the 2026 class of Gates Cambridge Scholars. The prestigious scholarship program fully funds postgraduate study and research in any subject at the University of Cambridge.

During his four years there, Freund, who majored in psychology and minored in German and history in the ������Ƶ & Sciences, plans to research the changing role of judicial discretion at sentencing. It will bring him closer to his ultimate career goal of becoming a professor of criminology. 

After graduating from Georgetown in 2023, Freund worked as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Berlin and earned a master’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Oxford. He is currently serving as program coordinator for the Prison Education Project (PEP) at Washington University in St. Louis. 

“I think I have always been interested in justice and using the privilege that I have in service of other people,” Freund said. 

Psychology and the Legal System

Born in New York, Freund and his family moved to San Diego when he was around the age of 4. His parents still live there.

Freund did not think he would move more than 2,600 miles across the country to DC for college, but attending a for admitted students swayed his decision. 

“I feel like among the schools I got into, Georgetown presented the most compelling vision of attending to its students,” he said. “The whole concept of cura personalis really came through to me.”

Initially, Freund thought he would major in government on the Hilltop. His main interest in high school, he said, was competing on the mock trial team, and Freund figured law school would be in his future. 

But he discovered that it was his psychology courses at Georgetown that he enjoyed the most. The class Psychology and the Legal System with , a professor of psychology and vice dean for faculty affairs in the College, helped him learn how to apply psychology and social sciences to the operations of the legal system, Freund said.

That led him to propose an honors thesis that combined concepts from that class and his Cultural Psychology class with , an associate professor in the Department of Psychology. 

Freund’s thesis compared two different video layouts for videoconferencing during pretrial hearings in the courtroom. He consulted with a judge and faculty members at Georgetown to videotape a simulated courtroom hearing, then used an eyetracker and surveys to examine self-assessed recall, self-assessed understanding, procedural fairness and outcome fairness between the two video layouts.

Woolard called it “one of the most interesting undergraduate thesis projects I have supervised.” 

“Rafi has a very active mind,” Chentsova Dutton said. “It is clear that his goal is not just to get a good grade but to understand human complexity better.”

A Passion for Education

Freund also developed his passion for education at Georgetown. 

He spent three years as a teaching assistant for the Probability and Statistics course with , a teaching professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. That experience helped him realize that he loved teaching and standing in front of a classroom. Freund was also involved in the and as a tutor for the . 

“Rafi has all the qualities that make for an excellent TA,” Meyer said. “What distinguished Rafi was his attention to detail and sensitivity to his students’ needs as learners. He always paid close attention to students’ common mistakes and misconceptions while grading the assignments and interacting with students during labs and office hours.”

To Freund, his interests in criminal justice and teaching are not distinct. 

“They coalesce in a belief that all people should be able to benefit from a high-quality education,” he said.

At the University of Cambridge, Freund plans to research how sentencing operates and how the role of judicial discretion has changed over time. In his research and work experience, Freund has found that rigid approaches to sentencing can leave people doubting procedural and outcome fairness. 

The limits on discretion, he said, are being placed faster than the field is considering the potential consequences of those limits, particularly as many anticipate the integration of artificial intelligence in sentencing decisions. 

Freund wants to take a step back and ask: Is there something lost alongside the human judge? What happens when judges are prevented from being able to engage with the people they’re sentencing?

“This is a really urgent thing to think about,” he said.

(Top photo courtesy of Rafi Freund, taken at Washington University in St. Louis)

“I’m deeply honored and humbled by this prestigious recognition,” Sellers says. “It affirms the significance of my contributions to the statistics discipline in all respects — research, education and service.”

Equations and Equity

Sellers was selected for this honor in part for her statistical research and analyses involving count data that contains data dispersion. She is a leading expert in such models and has authored or co-authored numerous methodological papers, thus developing flexible regression models, time series models, univariate and multivariate distributions and a control chart, among other works. 

Further, Sellers has several statistical computing packages available for use for these analyses in the popular freeware tool, R/RStudio. Sellers’ work also includes image analysis techniques, particularly low-level analyses including preprocessing, normalization, feature detection and alignment. 

In addition to her research, Sellers has mentored numerous Georgetown students all with the aim of instilling an appreciation for mathematics and statistics and further holds a secondary appointment at the US Census Bureau with the Center for Statistical Research and Methodology (CSRM) where she collaborates with other Census statisticians both within and outside of the CSRM.

While Sellers has made innumerable contributions as a researcher and scholar, the ASA also recognized her for her work as a leader in advancing justice and equity in the fields of mathematics and statistics, working to increase diversity and inclusion in the discipline, which she says has always been her passion.

“I describe myself as ‘an outlier personified’ and that can be a blessing and a curse” Sellers says. “When I earned my B.S. in mathematics from the University of Maryland in 1994, I was the only Black math major in my undergraduate class, and at that time it was the largest ever math cohort at UMD, so it has always been an interest of mine to help increase diversity in the discipline.” 

Further, in 2001, which was the year that Sellers earned her Ph.D. from George Washington University, there were only eight African-American women nationally who graduated with a PhD in the mathematical sciences that year. 

Sellers has long been active with various organizations sharing in this mission, including the ASA’s Committee on Minorities in Statistics and Committee on Women in Statistics, respectively; and the National Association of Mathematicians. 

Sellers has further held positions as the chair of the Committee on Women in Statistics, advisory board member for the Black Doctoral Network (BDN) and director of their STEMmers group, and has served on organizing committees for various conferences that likewise strive to increase the representation of under-represented minorities and women in the field, including the Conference for African-American Researchers in the Mathematical Sciences, Infinite Possibilities Conference, Women in Statistics and Data Science.

Most notably, she was recently selected as the inaugural chairperson for the ASA’s newly established .

In 2020, the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought racial and economic disparities to the forefront of society. As a result, the ASA established an anti-racism task force and the JEDI Outreach Group, which covers all aspects of equity and diversity including sexism, racism, ageism, ableism and classism to name a few. 

Sellers started her tenure as the inaugural chair of JEDI at the beginning of this year and will serve in that position for two years. While in this role, Sellers is responsible for creating infrastructure and partnership with the various organizations that individually tackle issues of discrimination to help give voice to these matters, and help statisticians and data scientists to be more mindful of the unforeseen repercussions that statistical methods can potentially impact marginalized groups. These efforts, however, should be a concern to everyone — not just those that are marginalized. 

“Algorithmic bias, for example, is very much a JEDI-related issue because, as we increasingly rely on AI, inherent bias can unwittingly be introduced in those algorithms,” Sellers explains. “The resulting codes can potentially lead to detrimental and catastrophic effects for marginalized communities.”

Sellers also says that though it is a daunting task, her goal as chair is to “galvanize the troops.”

“In this capacity, one of the issues that I think exists as it relates to the various isms is the notion that ‘if it doesn’t impact me, then it’s not my problem,” she continues. “Instead, we need to recognize the shared experiences of those effectively marginalized, and strengthen allyship in our society. This will hopefully reduce societal inequities.”

Since she has started as chairperson, Sellers has been featured on ASA’s podcast series Practical Significance, launched the group’s website and JEDI recently held their first virtual meeting. JEDI has already demonstrated themselves as an active organization, sponsoring and co-sponsoring four sessions during this year’s Joint Statistical Meetings, and starting both a regular segment in the ASA’s publication, Amstat News, called “The JEDI Corner”, and a webinar series that discusses JEDI-related matters.

“It is refreshing to see the excitement and the interest to change the culture,” Sellers says.

About Raney

While the mathematician is involved in many projects on campus centered around his own research, Raney always makes time for his students. Anushka Desai (C’22) says that he goes above and beyond for her and her classmates, “whether it is scheduling office hours around our schedules or planning pie day festivities just because we asked.”

“He always thinks of his students first, genuinely cares that our voices are heard, and makes class entertaining — especially with his fascination of entomology,” Desai says. “But most importantly, Professor Raney has built a community amongst students and faculty within the Math department, and, for me as well as many others, this has helped us find a home at Georgetown.”

The community fostered by Raney has helped students like Jade Murphy (C’22) succeed in classes that they normally would have found overwhelming due to his approachability and friendly banter.

“Professor Raney is one of the best math teachers I have had in my entire academic career,” says Murphy. “The last class I took with him was multivariable calculus, which he made far less daunting with his clear and engaging lectures.”

In addition to creating an interesting learning environment, Raney fosters relationships with his students through mentorship. Samantha Dies (C’22) said that she could not imagine navigating Georgetown “without his guidance and jokes.”

“Since my first semester, I have found Professor Raney to be both a mentor and a friend,” says Dies. “In my opinion, no one is more deserving of the College Honors Award.”

Raney would normally have been honored at the 14^th Annual Georgetown Honors Reception on March 30, 2020. However, due to COVID-19, the ceremony has been moved to a later date. The professor says that he is still “quite surprised and gratified to have received the 2020 College Academic Council Honors Teaching Award.”

“I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity I have as a non-tenure-line faculty member at Georgetown to interact with stellar students both in and out of the classroom,” says Raney. “The personal and pedagogical support my faculty colleagues provide is immensely gratifying as well.”

In previous years, honorees have included Dr. Joseph Hartman, Dr. Ruth Kramer, Dr. Heidi G. Elmendorf, Dr. Marcia Chatelain, and Dr. Erika B. Seamon. Raney joins their ranks as an integral part of the community who has helped enrich the Georgetown experience for so many students.

“Professor Raney is one of our most valued instructors, one who not only makes mathematics come alive for our students but also serves as a valued mentor to them,” says Chris Celenza, Dean of Georgetown College. “I am delighted that the CAC selected him for this meaningful award and am proud to call him a colleague.”

Finding Research

Sellers is a continual advocate for undergraduate research, actively collaborating with students to develop mathematical projects that have real-world applications. Currently, there are several ways that students can become involved in research at Georgetown, though they are not always apparent. There are fellowship opportunities, GUROP, and fairs like the fall Science Research Opportunities Fair hosted by the Georgetown chapter of Psi Chi where students can learn about various labs available to them on campus. Students are even encouraged to speak with professors one-on-one outside of class.

Knowing that there are limited fellowship slots and recognizing that many people are simply unaware of the vast research opportunities in the mathematical sciences, Sellers frequently participates in the fair, consistently coming away with a new cohort of students eager to conduct research.

“I make sure to go to the fair because our students need to know that research experience through the Mathematics and Statistics Department is not only available to graduate students, but for undergraduate students as well,” says Sellers. “I have found that students really want to participate in the work being done by every department; they just don’t know how to go about starting that process. Going to campus events like the fair really makes a difference.”

Real World Applications: Analyzing Gun Violence Statistics

This fair is where Sellers recruited several students currently working with her on research projects. Zev Burton (SFS’22) and Sarah Lalevee (C’22) were interested in working on statistical analyses. After approaching Sellers, they were partnered with Runzhong Xu (C’21) who had independently sought out research opportunities with Sellers.

These three students are collaborating on a statistical analysis project regarding mass gun violence in America. Since beginning their research with Sellers, the trio has presented at two spring undergraduate conferences on Georgetown’s campus where they gain experience presenting their work in different formats (oral or poster presentations).

“I was interested in doing research in some capacity, but I didn’t really know where to start,” says Lalevee. “Zev and I didn’t have a background in statistics, so working with Stephen and Professor Sellers gave us an experience we otherwise would not have had.”

Sellers believes that this type of research is essential for students and hopes that iterations will continue in the future.  

“It can be difficult for students to take what they learn in class and conceptualize it for the real world,” says Sellers. “Projects like this help students understand what they’ve learned, and see how they can apply that knowledge in other fields. I also try to remove intimidation that is associated with research. The notion of writing a thesis or dissertation is so big and overwhelming, I try to remove that sense of intimidation with research and writing.”

Ultimately, the students and Sellers are in the process of publishing a paper with their findings to better articulate the associations that lead to mass shootings in America. Burton, Lalevee, and Xu will have gained real-world experience in statistics and applied mathematics. 

“Besides learning how to apply the theories we learn in class to actual world data, the most important thing I learned through working closely with Professor Sellers, Sarah, and Zev is that conducting research and producing meaningful results require collaborated effort and everyone contributing their unique ideas and knowledge about the subject,”. Says Xu. “How to work together in a productive way and learning from each other can sometimes be the most valuable part of research.”

The students consider this one of the most impactful experiences they have had at Georgetown, and attribute it largely to their professor.

“It’s really difficult for all of us to really articulate how much we have appreciated this experience,” says Burton. “We have grown so much as researchers, as individuals, and it’s all thanks to Professor Sellers.”

Research: An Alternate Extracurricular

Many students are interested in research because they want an experience that differs from other extracurriculars on campus.

“I wasn’t getting as much out of the clubs available to me at Georgetown,” says Sean Melville (C’20). “I really wanted to do something meaningful with more of an academic focus. So, I went to the undergraduate research fair and met with Professor Sellers.”

Melville was partnered with Fanyu Cui (C’20) who also met Sellers at the fair. The two are conducting methodological research to develop a new, flexible time series model for analyzing count data that are observed over time, where the underlying assumptions about the data are more relaxed than in previous works. Cui and Melville describe their work as a “Russian nesting doll” for statistical models that can analyze time series count data. Together, they have collaborated on literature reviews, proofread each other’s work, and informed one another about relevant research in this area.

“Sean and I work together on everything first before going to Professor Sellers,” says Cui. “I wanted to understand what the research process was like and how you start and continue. I am interested in getting my PhD, so this true research experience is really invaluable.”

Melville and Cui are working with Sellers and to publish a paper on their analyses.

Creating Unique Opportunities

Sellers is also eager to help students who approach her outside of structured events.  Students like Stephen Peng (MSB’18) have asked about research opportunities after the first day of class. Though he is currently completing his engineering degree at Columbia as part of Georgetown’s  3-2 Combined Plan joint degree in partnership with the , Peng worked with Sellers while in the GUROP program to develop another time series model for count data. This project, similar to the one Sellers is completing with Cui and Melville, deals with developing a flexible model for count data that are collected over time.

“A real-world example where this model can be applied is to describe the total number of customers that frequent a store during a day through a statistical model,” says Peng. “Imagine that a store opens and three people come in, but then two leave and then five more enter. What is the total? You might have correctly guessed six, but with larger data sets it becomes more complicated. Stores would be interest to use such analyses to understand the amount of traffic they get through their stores, or (better yet) the number of purchases over time. Our model helps compute data that is hard for humans to keep track of.”

At the International Conference on Statistical Distributions and Applications in October of 2019, Peng presented about their research in an invited session during the conference – a coveted slot usually reserved for academic faculty and other career statisticians. “I was the only undergraduate that spoke, but because of Professor Sellers, I was very prepared,” says Peng.  “I plan to use this experience going forward. In the long term, no matter what I end up doing, I want to work with data and with numbers. This gives me credibility and has taught me a lot about what to do when working with data and developing models.” This work has also been published in the Journal of Time Series Analysis.

Opportunities for All

Sellers is one of many professors who is deeply invested in undergraduates at Georgetown. Inside the Mathematics and Statistics Department and elsewhere, there are numerous ways that students can begin research in an area that interests them. To find out more, check out the research opportunities available to you at Georgetown.