Recognizing Students, From a Distance

The School of Statistics hosts an awards ceremony each spring to recognize the accomplishments of its award-winning students. When this year’s celebration was cancelled as a result of COVID-19, the unit’s leaders had to think creatively about how to honor the work of their pupils. 

School of Statistics Director Galin Jones reflects on the predicament. “This past semester may not have been how any of us envisioned and we regret having to cancel the formal award ceremony, but the students' accomplishments remain.” 

Constrained by distance, students were asked to submit a selfie using a UMN-themed virtual background and the Zoom platform that has become so integral to their everyday learning. The resulting collage is a simple offering of celebration to mark the occasion. The students who earned a place in its frame exemplify the determination and resilience needed to succeed in spite of unique and challenging circumstances.

“So many of the School's students performed admirably this year,” Jones remarks, “especially when we take into account the uncertainty surrounding us these past months. However, the recipients of these awards demonstrated an impressive commitment to excellence. On behalf of the School of Statistics, we congratulate them.” 

Please help us to recognize and congratulate this year's award winners:

Statistics Alumni Fellowship: Xuesong Hou

Lynn Y.S. Lin Fellowship in Statistical Consulting: Sanhita Sengupta and Bingxin Zhao

Bernard W. Lindgren Graduate Instructor Award: Haoran Xue

Bernard W. Lindgren Teaching Assistant Award: Marten Thompson

Graduate Research Fellowship: Austin Brown

Martin-Buehler Fellowship in Statistics: Jiawei Zhang

John N. Quiring Fellowship in Statistics: Xinran Wang

Dr. Lawrence Thibodeau Fellowship in Statistical Consulting: Yuefei Shen

Patrick Whitcomb & Patty Napier Fellowship in Statistics: Haoyu Chen, Angira Mondal, and Xuejie Song

Martin Statistics Travel Award: Le Zhou

Buehler Memorial Undergraduate Award: Fandi Chang, Katherine Li, Yupei Liu, Xiangyu Zhang, and Guizhen Yu

Congratulations students!