Joy Jordan, Assistant Professor of Statistics, is the winner of the 2001-02 Young Teacher Award. Read the citation.
Joy Jordan joined the mathematics department in 1999 as assistant professor of statistics, the first to hold such a position at Lawrence. She teaches an introductory course in probability and statistics, as well as elementary statistics, probability theory, and mathematical statistics.
A graduate of Indiana University, with a B.A. in mathematics, Jordan earned the Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in statistics from the University of Iowa. Although her training has been at major public universities, she is no stranger to the liberal arts college. Her sister Jenny, '86, is a Lawrence alumna, and her father, Truman, is a retired chemistry professor at Cornell College in Iowa.
Her research and professional interests are in statistics education. In 2005, Joy was promoted to associate professor of statistics, and in 2006 she was was awarded the Waller Education Award, a national award presented by the American Statistical Association’s Section on Statistical Education to an individual for innovation in the instruction of elementary statistics.
Teaching Philosophy:
It is impossible to escape statistics; they appear in newspapers, magazines, journal articles, and political platforms. I love teaching statistics, showing my students the many applications of the discipline, and providing an enjoyable classroom experience. Statistics can be fun (yes, you read that correctly). In my classes, I emphasize active learning, the use of real data, and understanding over simple memorization. Furthermore, I encourage students to ask questions, participate in class discussion, and work together in small groups.
When I inform people of my profession, I am inevitably met with the response, "My statistics class was an awful experience." To which I reply, "You would like it if you took it from me!"
Read more about Jordan in this profile from the 1999-2000 President's Report or visit Joy's website.