The Department of Statistics is pleased to welcome alumna Dr. Gina-Maria Pomann back to NC State as the speaker for our Fall 2026 Commencement Ceremony. Pomann earned her Ph.D. from NC State in 2015 and has since built a career spanning biostatistics, biomedical research, data science, education and collaborative research leadership.

Fall 2026 Departmental Commencement
Friday, December 11, 2026
Time: 2:30pm
Location: SAS Hall 2203
Reception to follow

Pomann is an associate professor of biostatistics and bioinformatics at Duke University School of Medicine and director of the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Methods Core. In this role, she oversees teams of biostatistics and data science faculty, staff and students who collaborate with clinical and translational researchers across a range of biomedical fields. Under her leadership, the BERD Core has facilitated more than 1,600 research collaborations resulting in more than 800 peer-reviewed publications.

Pomann’s research includes the development of functional data methods and predictive modeling techniques for brain imaging, as well as collaborations in neurology, surgery, urology, hospital medicine and other areas of biomedical research. She also serves on the Duke AI Health Faculty Council, where she leads efforts to develop collaborations that apply artificial intelligence to challenges in health care, and holds an associate professor appointment with the Duke-NUS Centre for Quantitative Medicine in Singapore.

Education and mentorship are also central to Pomann’s work. She directs the BERD Core Training and Internship Program and serves as co-principal investigator on multiple NIH-funded training initiatives, including programs focused on quantitative methods for HIV/AIDS research and quantitative team science. Through these efforts, she works to prepare quantitative scientists to collaborate effectively across disciplines and apply statistical and data science methods to complex research questions.

For Pomann, returning to NC State for commencement is a full-circle moment. “I am honored to be invited back to NC State, where my journey as a statistician began,” Pomann said. “I look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of the next generation of statisticians, whose skills are more essential than ever to help society make sense of data that drive discovery and address some of the world’s most important challenges.” Pomann’s return offers graduates the opportunity to hear from a fellow Department of Statistics alumna whose career demonstrates the many ways statistical training can contribute to research, collaboration and the challenges facing society. Her commencement address will help mark an important milestone for our newest graduates as they prepare to begin the next stage of their own careers.