Congratulations to Maria-Cristiana (Kitty) Girjau, who was recently awarded the Center for Teaching and Learning’s (CTL) Lead Teaching Fellow (LTF) Award for the 2023-2024 academic year!
The LTF Program is a professional development opportunity for doctoral and MFA students who are committed to promoting pedagogical practices and conversations among graduate students. LTFs participate in a series of meetings at the CTL, organize teaching-related workshops in their home departments, and act as liaisons between their peers and the CTL.
Originally from Romania, Maria-Cristiana graduated with a degree in Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science from Amherst College, and then joined the Columbia University Department of Statistics Doctoral Program to pursue her PhD. Recently mentored by Department of Statistics Professor Simon Tavaré, Maria-Cristiana hopes the LTF award will enable them to promote a more interdisciplinary teaching culture in the Department of Statistics, with a focus on pedagogies that cultivate self-driven and long-term learning.