Brenda Gunderson

Brenda Gunderson received her PhD in Statistics from The University of Michigan in 1989.  As a Senior Lecturer, she coordinated and taught the largest undergraduate statistics course, Statistics and Data Analysis, with approximately 1800 students each term.  She was also an undergraduate advisor for students electing to major or minor in Statistics.  Her research focuses on Statistical Education, in particular using technology to enhance teaching and learning.  Brenda received the UM Teaching Innovation Prize for her work on Infusing Technology for Guided Continuous Learning in a Large Gateway Course. She was co-investigator for a UM grant called: Enhancing Undergraduate Education through the Deployment of Quality Learning Objects. Her work on this grant led to receiving the Innovative Use of MERLOT Award (2009) and a Sloan-C Effective Practice Award (2012). She was also part of an NSF project to expand the UM E2Coach system (Expert Electronic Coaching) to students in introductory statistics courses -- computer tailored communication technology allows us to provide individualized coaching and advice to students using their individual background, goals, and current standing in the course. After retiring in 2020, she returned to the department to teach Stats 404: Effective Communication in Statistics.