Anyone who has taken a statistical sciences class with Alison Gibbs would agree there is nothing random about her being awarded a 3M National Teaching Fellowship from the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education this week.
In fact, she may have been the only one surprised to learn the news.
"I felt quite overwhelmed when I learned about it," said Gibbs, associate professor, teaching stream, and associate chair for undergraduate studies in statistics in the department of statistical sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science. "I don't think I realized before that doing something I enjoy so much can achieve this level of recognition."
Announced in Maclean's magazine, Gibbs is one of 10 post-secondary teachers from across Canada recognized for excellence in educational leadership and teaching. She receives lifetime membership in the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, an invitation to the society's annual conference in June, and a chance to interact more intimately with other 2018 recipients at a four-day retreat next fall.
This year's cohort joins more than 300 previous recipients named since 1986 in the Council of 3M National Teaching Fellows.
"I've long been in awe of the group of previous recipients and the inspiring work that they do for their students and their teaching communities," said Gibbs. "It's truly an honour to be invited to be part of that group and I'm grateful that the work I do is being recognized in this way."
With an infectious passion for statistics, Gibbs inspires students to take more courses in the field and use statistics in their daily lives. She advocates for statistical reasoning, because real-world problems are rarely neat.
Gibbs continually seeks new ways to engage students in authentic experiences that will develop their resourcefulness, creativity, common sense, and judgment. She is known as a pioneer in statistics-education pedagogy and curriculum, and in connecting faculty across disciplines.
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