2026 Results

The John Hooper Medal for Statistics Competition 2026

The John Hooper Medal for Statistics competition 2026 has been a great success. This year the CSO is delighted with the number of entries received, and the standard was very high.

The sixteenth John Hooper Medal for Statistics competition was launched on 15 October 2025, at our Awards Ceremony in Croke Park. The posters were initially judged in two phases by teams of statisticians from the CSO, according to detailed judging criteria. Fifteen posters were then shortlisted for the final judging phase.

Panel

The final judging panel, chaired by Fiona O’Callaghan, consisted of:

Dr Kieran Murphy
Lecturer in Mathematics
South-East Technological University
Waterford

Conall Kelly
Senior Lecturer in Financial Mathematics & Director of the BSc Financial Mathematics and Actuarial Science
University College Cork

Felix Coleman
Statistician
Central Statistics Office
Cork

Fiona O’Callaghan
Statistician
Central Statistics Office
Cork

Results

The results of the judges’ deliberations are given below:

First Prize and Winner of the John Hooper Medal for Statistics
Student: Katie Zheng
Teacher: Catriona Hendry
Institute of Education,
Leeson St,
Dublin
Policy vs Practice Vape Tax and Flavour Ban (PDF 754KB)

Second Prize
Student: Suzie Hynes, Lily Casey
Teacher: John Sims
Mary Immaculate Secondary School
Lisdoonvarna
Co. Clare
Quartz in the Burren (PDF 546KB)

Third Prize
Students: Grace Dolan, Ciara Lappin, Ellen Madden
Teacher: Mairead Cusack
Moate Community School
Co. Westmeath
More than Make Up - the struggle of Female Athletes (PDF 605KB)