Elizabeth Jennings McGuffey, a teaching assistant professor and undergraduate program director in statistics (STAT) at Rice University, has received the 2023 Award for Excellence in Teaching, a prestigious teaching award in the School of Engineering.
McGuffey was recognized for her “continued excellence in teaching and exemplary commitment to the education of undergraduate or graduate students” in the school.
“Elizabeth is our first teaching professor and we had high hopes for her,” said Rudy Guerra, professor and chair of STAT. “She has far exceeded those expectations and is a model teacher. Her impact on our undergraduate teaching, advising and mentoring cannot be overstated.”
She earned her B.S. in applied mathematical sciences in 2010, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in STAT in 2012 and 2015, respectively, all from Texas A&M University. Before joining the Rice faculty in 2020, McGuffey worked for five years as an assistant professor of STAT at the U.S. Naval Academy, where she developed a biostatistics course and a project-based capstone course.
McGuffey will be formally recognized at the School of Engineering’s annual awards ceremony on April 20 and the annual Center for Teaching Excellence awards ceremony on April 25.