Meet Nicole Dalzell, an assistant teaching professor of statistics at Wake Forest University and mentoring chair for the Section on Statistics and Data Science Education! Nicole earned her Ph.D. from Duke University and undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida.
Nicole was nominated by her colleague, Ciaran Evans, an assistant professor of statistics at Wake Forest University. The nomination recognizes her work in developing new undergraduate courses including "courses in statistical learning and generalized linear models" and "a unique research capstone class for our senior majors, in which students work in teams over the course of a semester to answer real research questions with interesting and challenging data." It also highlights her work organizing a DataFest at Wake Forest and as a mentor to her colleagues and other early-career statisticians. In short, "Dr. Dalzell is a model member of the statistics education community."
What encouraged you to choose statistics as a profession? For me, it was an undergraduate research project in mathematics education. My research project focused on how trends in teaching mathematics were connected to social, political, and economic concerns. I was reading all these articles about the theory of teaching mathematics, and I kept seeing all these statistical results. However, my major was mathematics and I had very little exposure to statistics, so I didn’t understand much of the research I was reading. I started exploring on my own, and the more I learned, the more interested I got in the stats! At the time, I was working as a peer teacher for a college calculus lab section, and was learning how much I loved teaching college students. I was excited by the idea of using data and statistics to help me learn to teach more effectively. Pursuing a teaching career in statistics really came from these two undergraduate experiences.
What statistics courses do you currently teach or enjoy teaching the most?
I love teaching our Introduction to Regression and Data Science course. For many students, this is the first time they really get to dig into data that is meaningful for them. I love how excited the students get when they realize what they can do with statistics, regardless of their discipline. It is also wonderful to engage in discussions about data realities and how they impact the statistics students are exposed to on a constant basis in our modern world. I also teach a Senior Research Capstone course where students engage in team-based statistical research projects. This gives me the opportunity to connect with each student as they explore the process of developing a research plan, interacting with a client, determining appropriate approaches, and working collaboratively. It’s different every semester, and that’s part of what I enjoy about it.
What advice would you give to someone who is new to teaching statistics?
I would encourage anyone who is new to teaching statistics to incorporate some data that is meaningful to you, and then allow the students to engage in some way with data that is meaningful to them. If you are excited about something, that will come across and connect with your students. Allowing students the freedom to apply the concepts from class helps them connect their learning to their lives outside the classroom, and can motivate them to keep learning more.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
I like to hike! Whenever I have the opportunity to spend time walking outside, I take it. I also love to garden and to cross stitch, and I sing in a local choir.
If you have a section member you'd like to nominate for an upcoming Meet a Member profile, please email Maria Tackett.
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