Professor Zhou Zhou, from the Department of Statistical Sciences at the University of Toronto, has been awarded the 2023 CRM-SCC Prize for his contributions to time series analysis and nonparametric statistics. His research focuses on non-stationary time series, nonlinear time series, time-frequency analysis, Gaussian approximations, resampling methods, and sieve inference for complex dependent data, as well as robust change point detection for non-stationary data.
Zhou Zhou's impressive research record includes 31 research papers published or accepted in top journals, including leading journals such as Annals of Statistics, JRSSB, and JASA. He received the NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplement in 2021 in recognition of his outstanding research contributions and very promising future.
One of Zhou's significant contributions to the field is the analysis of non-stationary time series, an increasingly important area when studying long series with complicated structures. Zhou and Wu proposed a framework for analyzing locally stationary (LS) time series from the perspective of nonlinear physical systems. Zhou also proposed a class of piecewise locally stationary (PLS) time series models that generalize this framework by allowing jumps or abrupt changes in the data generation mechanism. Zhou's research on non-stationary time series analysis in LS and PLS frameworks has made significant progress in developing theory and methodology.
Zhou is also a world-renowned expert in change point detection, an area of statistics that has skyrocketed in popularity over the past two decades due to its applications. His pioneering work on robust change point detection algorithms for non-stationary noise has had a significant impact on the field. Zhou has also made breakthroughs in simultaneous nonparametric inference by sieving dependent data.
In addition to his research, Zhou is also a prolific mentor and supervisor. He has graduated seven PhD students and is currently supervising four others. He provides editorial services for journals such as Bernoulli and Statistics and Probability Letters and has organized invited sessions at several conferences.
The CRM-SCC Prize in Statistics recognizes the excellence and research achievements of a statistician during the fifteen years following the award of his or her doctorate (or equivalent degree). It is awarded annually by the Centre de Recherches Mathématiques and the Statistical Society of Canada. Zhou's extensive high-quality research and leadership role in the field make him a deserving recipient of the 2023 CRM-SCC Prize in Statistics. When not working, Zhou enjoys spending time with his family, watching science fiction movies, and following the major European soccer leagues.