In a recent announcement on the Statistical Society of Canada's website, Dr. Alison Gibbs was awarded the SSC Distinguished Educator Award for 2023 [1]. This prestigious award recognizes extensive and sustained excellence in teaching statistics by SSC members, highlighting significant contributions to evidence-based pedagogy, leadership in statistical education in Canada, and success in statistics community building.
Dr. Gibbs is the director of the Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation at the University of Toronto and has a remarkable record of developing and teaching innovative statistics courses, providing her students with rich, authentic learning experiences. Before joining the University of Toronto, she taught high school math for several years. As the first statistician at the University of Toronto to be promoted to Full Professor, Teaching Stream, she has played a vital role in shaping the culture of innovation in teaching and learning at the institution.
During her tenure as associate chair of the Department of Statistical Sciences (2014-2019), Dr. Gibbs oversaw the program's impressive growth, from 1,300 to 4,200 undergraduate students enrolled. She is also the first and only statistician in Canada to receive the prestigious 3M National Teaching Fellowship from the Society of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
Nationally, Dr. Gibbs has served the SSC in various educational roles, including chair and member of the statistical education committee for eight years. When Statistics Canada discontinued the Census at School project, she demonstrated exceptional leadership in helping the SSC take charge and turn it into the thriving, ongoing project it is today. Internationally, Dr. Gibbs has made significant contributions to the American Statistical Association (ASA) and the International Statistical Institute's International Association for Statistics Education (IASE), serving as vice-president, invited speaker, and conference organizer, including 2023's IASE Satellite Meeting in Toronto.
We are immensely proud of Dr. Alison Gibbs for her outstanding achievements and unwavering dedication to the advancement of statistical education in Canada and beyond. The Department of Statistical Sciences congratulates her on receiving the well-deserved inaugural 2023 Distinguished Educator Award from the Statistical Society of Canada.
Reference:
[1] Statistical Society of Canada. "Winner of the SSC Distinguished Educator Award." SSC Liaison, Vol. 37, No. 2, April 2023. https://ssc.ca/en/publications/ssc-liaison/vol-37-2-april-2023/winner-ssc-distinguished-educator-award