The Department of Statistics is proud to announce that Kit Clement and Gökçe Dayanıklı have been selected as recipients of the Department of Statistics Award for Excellence in Instruction.
The award recognizes consistently outstanding teaching by faculty members within the department and takes a holistic approach to evaluating how instructors facilitate learning across undergraduate- and graduate-level courses. Each year, the award honors faculty who demonstrate exemplary teaching and a strong commitment to student success.
Clement was recognized for creating an engaging and collaborative classroom environment through innovative instructional methods. Students particularly appreciated his use of lecture videos outside of class, allowing class time to focus on hands-on problem solving and collaboration with peers and course assistants. Nominators also commended his patience, kindness, and ability to explain difficult concepts in clear and approachable ways, as well as his willingness to continue conversations with students beyond class to deepen understanding and connect course material to real-world applications.
Students praised Dayanıklı for her approachable teaching style, thoughtful mentorship, and ability to make complex statistical concepts both intuitive and engaging. Nominators highlighted her skill in explaining statistical modeling methods and emphasizing the careful reasoning involved in model selection, while also encouraging students to think critically through discussion and deep conceptual questions. Students also noted her accessibility outside the classroom and the confidence she inspired in their academic and professional goals.
The department congratulates both Clement and Dayanıklı on this well-deserved recognition and thanks them for their outstanding contributions to statistics education.