CMU graduate student tackles hiring bias at national statistics conference
A Central Michigan University graduate student is taking on one of today’s biggest workplace challenges, bias in hiring algorithms. Hairu Fan, an incoming Ph.D. student in Statistics, Actuarial and Data Sciences, will present her research at the 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) on Aug. 5 in Nashville.
Her talk, “From Bias to Balance: A Data-Driven Approach to Fair Recruitment Practices,” digs into a key question: Can hiring algorithms stay accurate while treating every applicant fairly?
By analyzing well-known public datasets, Hairu found that factors like gender and age can unintentionally skew recruitment predictions. More importantly, she offers practical ways to fix those imbalances, giving companies tools to make hiring both smarter and fairer.
“The data-driven approach offered a clearer perspective for improving recruitment practices through informed data decisions,” said Dr. Chin-I Cheng, chair of CMU’s Department of Statistics, Actuarial and Data Sciences.
Hairu begins her Ph.D. studies this fall but already holds dual master’s degrees in Applied Statistics & Analytics and Information Systems. She’s also making history as the first CMU graduate researcher in recent years to land a podium presentation at JSM, the world’s largest statistics conference, which draws more than 6,000 participants from academia, government, and industry.
Her 15-minute presentation will be part of the session “Applications of AI and Machine Learning in Science and Business” at the Music City Center.
Hairu expressed her gratitude for the support that made this possible, thanking the College of Science and Engineering and the Office of Research & Graduate Studies. She also shared appreciation for the College of Business Administration for supporting her co-author.
Her selection highlights CMU’s growing reputation in data science and analytics. By contributing research with real-world impact on hiring practices, Hairu is helping showcase the innovative work happening at CMU, and how its students are shaping the future of statistics and machine learning.
