I am a mathematics major at the University of Arizona with minors in philosophy and computer science. When I came to Rice this summer I was interested in statistics mostly as a "practical" field of applied mathematics; what I learned is that there is much more to statistics than just its usefulness. There is plenty that's challenging and interesting for a mathematician, a programmer or even a philosopher in this field. The RUSIS program provided me with a great experience and unique insight into a field with which I may otherwise not have had any acquaintance.