SSA ECSSN and NZSA SECS joint webinar: Building a Career in Uncertain Times

The Early Career & Student Statisticians Network (ECSSN) of the Statistical Society of Australia invites you to a joint webinar with the New Zealand Statistical Association's Student and Early Career Statisticians Network (NZSA SECS). he presentation titled “Building a career in uncertain times” will be delivered by Shaun Hendy.

Date: Friday 27 November 2026

Time: 10:00 am AEST / 11:00 am AEDT / 1:00 pm NZDT

Format: Online via Zoom. Details provided upon registration

Abstract: Building a career in uncertain times

In March 2020, I found myself modelling a pandemic for the New Zealand government with patchy, rapidly changing data and information demands. How did a physicist end up there, and what did it teach me? In this talk I’ll reflect on a career that has wandered from physics into complex systems, innovation economics and epidemiology. I’ll focus on the decisions I made along the way: dabbling in other fields, building interdisciplinary teams through Te Pūnaha Matatini, turning models into advice under pressure, and being in public view even when it became uncomfortable. I’ll be candid about what worked, what didn’t, and how I set boundaries for myself along the way. I’ll also share some thoughts on how AI is changing quantitative research, and what remains valuable about the skills you’re building. I hope my story will be useful for early-career researchers who want their work to matter beyond academia, and to look after themselves while doing it.

Presenter Bio: Shaun Hendy

Shaun Hendy is a physicist with research that spans complex systems, innovation economics and the interface between science and policy. He was founding director of Te Pūnaha Matatini and led its COVID-19 modelling programme, which informed New Zealand’s pandemic response from March 2020. He is the author of The Covid Response (2025) and an award-winning scientist and science communicator. He is currently an executive leader at Callaghan Innovation.