Epidemiology and Biostatistics faculty member honored with Chancellor’s Outstanding Scholar Award
In recognition of her outstanding accomplishments in teaching and scholarly activities, Christa Lilly, associate professor in biostatistics, has been selected to receive the Academic Scholar Award, and will be honored during the upcoming Chancellor’s Outstanding Achievement Awards ceremony.
The Chancellor’s Awards celebrate faculty members “who have been recognized by their peers for their outstanding accomplishments at WVU Health Sciences.”
“I’m very honored to receive the academic scholar award,” said Lilly, who first joined WVU as a research instructor in the Department of Pediatrics. “I really enjoy the intersection of teaching and research and am thankful for the nomination of this award by my chair, Dr. Bethany Barone Gibbs. I’m so honored that former students and colleagues wrote in support of this nomination as well.”
According to Bethany Gibbs, chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Lilly has a unique and impactful style of teaching that goes beyond lecturing. Her use of hands-on software demonstrations, field work and modeling proper techniques for statistical communications and reporting has resulted in repeatedly positive feedback in end-of-year student surveys.
“She teaches that math is not about rote memorization of formulas or dissecting theorems, but rather should be viewed as a problem-solving method for answering research questions in their applied field,” Gibbs said.
Lilly’s teaching skills have been recognized previously in 2018 when she was recognized with the School of Public Health’s Faculty Council Teaching and Mentoring Award. She has a publication record of over 100 manuscripts, including 39 with student-first authors, with the majority include least one student co-author, and over 50 presentations with student-first authors.
The Chancellor’s Awards ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. on Aug. 31 in the Pylons Lobby area at the WVU Health Sciences Center.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Nikky Luna
Director of Marketing and Communications
WVU School of Public Health
304-293-1699; nikky.luna@hsc.wvu.edu