Each year, the Department of Statistics honors a select group of graduate students whose teaching and mentorship make a meaningful difference in the experiences of UW–Madison students. These TAs balance their own education and research with a profound commitment to effective instruction, and their impact is felt across introductory, intermediate, and advanced courses.
Meet this year’s winners:
Outstanding Performance as a TA for Graduate Courses
Jingyun Jia PhDx’28 — STAT 610: Introduction to Statistical Inference
Students highlighted Jia’s strong preparation, clear explanations, and well‑designed practice materials. One noted that “he explains the key points clearly, and the practice exercises are really helpful,” while another praised how “his review in the discussion session was great, and easy to follow.” Across both semesters, students emphasized his ability to anticipate common struggles and guide them through difficult topics.
Outstanding Performance as a TA for Undergraduate Courses
Beom Kwon PhDx’28 — STAT 310: Introduction to Probability and Mathematical Statistics II and STAT 479: Special Topics in Statistics
Kwon was described by students as approachable, patient, and committed to helping them succeed. Comments emphasized how Kwon broke down complex ideas into accessible explanations and created a welcoming environment for questions. One student shared, “I took away so much from Beom’s teaching,” while others noted the clarity and usefulness of each discussion session.
Honorable Mention: Outstanding Performance as a TA for Graduate Courses
Jingyang Lyu PhDx’27 — STAT 709: Mathematical Statistics and STAT 601: Statistical Methods I
Lyu stood out for clarity, organization, and kindness. One student praised his ability to “de‑cluster everything we had learned in the week for easy understanding” and to synthesize key ideas. Another student wrote simply: “He is one of the best TAs I’ve ever met.”
Honorable Mention: Outstanding Performance as a TA for Undergraduate Courses
Paul Nguyen PhDx’27 — STAT 240: Data Science Modeling I and STAT 340: Data Science Modeling II
Nguyen’s students highlighted his availability and knack for making discussions productive and inclusive. They valued his “quick refresher” at the start of each session and his talent for breaking down difficult data science concepts into manageable steps.
Matthew Baca PhDx’26 — STAT 424: Statistical Experimental Design
Baca’s humor and clarity resonated with his students. One shared, “Every time I thought a concept to be too abstract, Matt was able to level it down to make it easy to understand.”
Nabil Awan PhD’26 — STAT 340: Data Science Modeling II
Awan was recognized for deep subject knowledge and efficient explanations. Students appreciated how he “summarized the most common conceptual errors” and “explained everything so clearly and quickly.”
All of these talented PhD students (and one recent alum) have made a lasting impact on the experiences of Badgers across majors and disciplines. We are proud to recognize them as not only outstanding TAs, but also vivid examples of what makes the Statistics department at UW–Madison exceptional.
Learn more about Statistics PhD program options.