The Conference of Texas Statisticians (COTS) brings together statisticians and data scientists from across Texas for two days of talks, posters and conversation. The 2027 meeting is hosted by the Department of Statistics and Data Science at Southern Methodist University in Dallas on April 2 and 3.
Welcome
We are delighted to bring COTS back to SMU. Tom Bratcher of Baylor, Jim Davenport of Texas Tech and Bill Schucany of SMU agreed to create a statewide statistics meeting while attending the 1980 American Statistical Association meeting in Houston. COTS itself first convened in Waco in February 1981 and has met every year since, rotating among Texas institutions. SMU last hosted in 2017, when roughly 140 people came to Dallas, among them 80 students from 26 universities, institutions and companies.
The meeting features invited talks from statisticians working in academia, industry and government, along with a poster session where students and early-career researchers present their work. The Don Owen Award, presented at the conference dinner, carries its own SMU connection, since Don Owen taught in the department for decades and trained many of its doctoral students.
We look forward to welcoming you to campus on April 2 and 3, 2027.
The program, registration link, and poster submission link are being finalized. Check back for updates.
Key dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration opens | December 2026 |
| Early registration deadline | February 2027 |
| Poster abstract deadline | March 2027 |
| Registration closes | March 2027 |
| Conference | Friday and Saturday, April 2–3, 2027 |
Contact
Email the organizers at schiou@smu.edu with any questions.