Dr Neil Laws is one of ten members of staff with teaching responsibilities, across all career stages, who have been recognised in this year’s MPLS Teaching Awards.
The Divisional Teaching Awards scheme celebrates success, and recognises and rewards excellence in innovative teaching practice. It is open to everyone who teaches, including graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty and learning support staff.
Awards are made on merit, with winners selected by a cross-departmental panel. This year, entries closed in April and 108 members of staff were nominated, through 168 separate nominations.
Neil is fundamental to the planning, delivery and evaluation of teaching within the Department of Statistics. I don’t know what we would do without him.
Christl Donnelly, Head of Department of Statistics
Neil has been the Director of Studies in Statistics since 2008 and he has a wide range of duties relating to academic strategy and delivery in the areas of admissions, teaching and examining. As a proactive representative of the Department in teaching-related discussions with the Mathematical Institute, he has a crucial role in the seamless delivery of the undergraduate teaching and teaching related to the MSc in Mathematical Sciences, both of which are delivered jointly by the Department of Statistics and the Mathematical Institute. Neil was nominated by the Department of Statistics for playing a pivotal role in numerous teaching innovations in recent years. To name a few, these have included the change to admissions for undergraduates in both the Mathematics and the Mathematics and Statistics degrees, and adapting teaching to accommodate the changing needs of students.
You can read more about the awards and winners on the MPLS website.
I have benefitted from interactions with many Oxford students and colleagues about teaching. It's a privilege to be involved in statistics teaching at Oxford and I'm delighted to receive an MPLS teaching award.
Neil Laws, Director of Studies