Alan Agresti MS’70, PhD’72, distinguished professor emeritus of statistics at the University of Florida (UFL), has spent his career proving that data holds the key to some of the most compelling questions of our time, from the social sciences to the biomedical industry. In fact, he wrote a book on it. His seminal Categorical Data Analysis codified statistical methods for analyzing categorical data, earning both its spot in classrooms and around 50,000 citations along the way.
In recognition of his contributions, Agresti has received the 2026 Distinguished Achievement Award from the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS). One of just eight individuals to receive this year’s award, Agresti and the remaining 2026 Distinguished Achievement Awardees exemplify excellence across research, leadership, and education.
Statisticians “play in everyone’s backyard”
There’s a famous saying among statisticians: “The best thing about being a statistician is that you get to play in everyone’s backyard.” For Agresti, who has almost 90,000 citations, the adage is more of a motto. Over his 38-year career at UFL, he found himself dabbling in research spanning the social sciences, zoology, medicine, and beyond.
“I’m most proud of the fact that the books and the research I’ve done have had an impact, not just among statisticians,” said Agresti. “Statistics is useful in so many areas. No matter what your discipline or interest is, data can answer really interesting questions.”
As Agresti knows, those questions often rise out of unexpected places. While an assistant professor in the 70s, he was tasked with developing courses for UFL’s social science students who had no statistical background. This endeavor ultimately introduced him to categorical data, which became almost a vocation.
“Instead of something quantitative, you have labels or categories,” says Agresti. “I developed methods for making predictions of those categorical outcomes.” At the time, no one at UFL was working on it. It wasn’t until his “wonderful” sabbatical at Imperial College in London about a decade later that he was able to immerse himself in the area.
“I learned a tremendous amount,” he said. “I was exposed to new ideas I knew nothing about, which ultimately led to me writing the books on categorical data analysis.”
Origins at UW–Madison
After undergrad at the University of Rochester, Agresti was looking for a master’s program that offered “something new” — and an excellent reputation in statistics. The chance to work with scholars like George Box and Steve Stigler multiplied UW–Madison’s attractions, and our “mild winters” (he’s from Upstate New York) didn’t hurt. Agresti joined the Department of Statistics for both his master’s and doctoral degree.
“I ended up changing research areas completely, but my courses at UW–Madison gave me the theoretical background and broad view of the field that I needed to make that move,” said Agresti, who was originally a probability theorist. “It really was an excellent program.”
In 2010, Agresti took an early(ish) semi-retirement to “have the freedom to do other things,” like speaking and travel. Along with wife Jacki Levine, he splits his time between Gainesville, Florida and Boston, making sure to also spend considerable time each year in England and in Italy, where he became a dual citizen in 2017. Miscellaneous other travels, most recently to Southeast Asia, are also regularly scheduled; immediately following the Distinguished Achievement Awards ceremony on Friday, April 26, Agresti was back on a plane to give lectures in Sardinia and Rome.
Through his foundational scholarship, influential teaching, and enduring impact across disciplines, Agresti embodies the spirit of the Distinguished Achievement Award — and his work will continue shaping the field for generations to come.
Meet all eight of the 2026 CDIS Distinguished Achievement Award winners.