- How writing about SAS helped him master it — and how teaching others became his best learning tool
- The real-world tasks he tackles with SAS every day (some serious, some just for fun)
- The quirky, unexpected ways SAS shows up in his life — from productivity hacks to pet projects
“Confessions of a SAS Dummy”
Western Users of SAS Software is happy to welcome Chris Hemedinger as the keynote speaker for the WUSS 2026 Educational Forum and Conference! He’s a fun guy, a great speaker and this is one keynote where we promise you will stay awake!
Keynote Summary:
Ever wonder what happens when you learn SAS by writing the book on it — literally? Join Chris, the original “SAS Dummy”, as he shares his unconventional journey from curious coder to author, advocate, and everyday SAS user.
In this candid and entertaining keynote, Chris will reveal:
Whether you’re a seasoned SAS pro or just starting out, you’ll walk away with fresh insights, a few laughs, and maybe even the inspiration to embrace your own inner SAS Dummy.
Biography:
Chris Hemedinger is the Director of SAS User Engagement. His talented team looks after SAS online communities, SAS user groups, developer experience and GitHub, tech newsletters, expert webinars and tutorials. Chris is a recovering software developer who helped build popular SAS products such as SAS Enterprise Guide. Inexplicably, Chris is still coasting on the limited fame he earned as an author of SAS For Dummies. You can follow Chris on Twitter as @cjdinger.
Chris, from his blog The SAS Dummy…
I co-wrote the first edition of SAS For Dummies nearly 20 years ago. It’s not a stretch to say that the book altered the trajectory of my career. It was actually the launch pad for this blog. Together, these propelled me to “SAS fame” (which is a special sort of fame among SAS enthusiasts) and opened the door to more customer-facing activities like user groups and other conferences. I have travelled the world and met thousands of SAS customers, all thanks to the connections I’ve made from the book and in my writings since. I took more customer-centric roles at SAS, first in professional services then in communications, all leading to my most recent job as leader of SAS User Engagement.
SAS has seen some changes since those early Dummies days. Until now, the most recent edition of the book was from 2009 and covered SAS 9.2 and its era of applications. SAS For Dummies, 3rd Edition is now available, and I am very proud of the results! This new edition addresses all of the ways that people use SAS today, covering SAS 9.4 and SAS Viya. It has chapters about SAS programming, data management, reporting, machine learning, and data visualization. The book shows the pantheon of modern SAS tools like SAS Visual Analytics, SAS Model Studio and Model Manager, SAS for Microsoft 365, SAS Viya Workbench, and of course the ever-enduring SAS Enterprise Guide.