Professor Matthias Winkel from the Department of Statistics has won a 2025 Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences (MPLS) Teaching Award, recognised for his exceptional ability to engage students with probability theory.
Despite teaching one of Oxford's largest mathematics courses to students from multiple degree programmes, Professor Winkel consistently receives positive feedback across all disciplines.
‘Definitely the most interesting and best delivered course of Michaelmas,’ wrote one student. Another reflected: ‘The lecturer really captured my attention in every lecture and made sure to cover all the necessary information in a direct manner with intuitive examples. I would say the probability lectures have been the most helpful lectures I've attended so far.’
Professor Christl Donnelly, Head of the Department of Statistics, said: ‘Matthias is a fantastic lecturer. With large first-year courses, it can be difficult to connect with individual students, but Matthias poses interesting questions to capture students' attention and motivates them to find the answers through probability.’
This approach of using questions to guide students through complex mathematical concepts works particularly well given the different backgrounds of his students.
Professor Winkel's teaching has also gained popularity online, making Oxford's statistics education accessible to a wider digital audience.
The MPLS Teaching Awards recognise excellence and innovation in education across the Division, with winners selected by a cross-departmental panel.
The award recognises Professor Winkel's technical expertise in probability theory and his ability to make complex mathematical concepts clear and interesting for students who will go on to apply probabilistic thinking across fields from artificial intelligence to epidemiology.
Professor Jim Naismith, Head of the MPLS Division, said: 'Teaching is central to the purpose of the University, we transform the futures of our students. It's nice to take a moment to lift up and celebrate the exceptional in teaching. I want to congratulate all those nominated and those who have won awards.'
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