Murali Haran, a distinguished statistics professor at Penn State’s Eberly College of Science, has been appointed editor-in-chief of the Journal of Agricultural, Biological and Environmental Statistics (JABES) for a three-year term starting in 2026. JABES is jointly published by the American Statistical Association—the world’s largest professional organization for statisticians—and the International Biometric Society, which promotes statistical and mathematical research in the biosciences.
JABES focuses on introducing innovative statistical approaches to tackle complex challenges in agriculture, biology, and environmental science. The journal maintains a truly global reach, both in authorship and readership, with past editors-in-chief representing five continents. Haran expressed his enthusiasm about taking on this role, highlighting the transformative impact of advanced statistics, machine learning, and AI on the biological and environmental sciences. “It will be exciting to explore new questions and statistical ideas emerging in these fields over the next three years,” he said.
Haran’s own research intersects multiple disciplines, particularly environmental science and disease modeling. Collaborating with colleagues in Penn State’s Department of Geosciences and the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, he has studied phenomena ranging from the Antarctic Ice Sheet to the spread of infectious diseases. Beyond applied research, he has developed fast computational algorithms for statistical problems and pioneered methods for analyzing spatial data, which are observations linked to specific locations.
Throughout his career, Haran has contributed extensively to both scientific and statistical methodology journals. His work earned international recognition, including the 2015 El-Shaarawi Young Researchers Award from the International Environmetrics Society. He joined Penn State’s faculty in 2004 and served as the head of the Department of Statistics from 2018 to 2024, demonstrating leadership and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
As editor-in-chief of JABES, Haran will guide the publication in advancing cutting-edge statistical methods and supporting research that addresses critical challenges in agriculture, biology, and the environment, reinforcing the journal’s global influence in the field.
