Allison Davidson Associate Professor, Statistics |
Education
Teaching Interests
I teach a variety of statistics courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In all of the courses I teach, my goal is to provide students with skills that are transferable far beyond the classroom setting!
In particular, I aim to help guide students in marketing specific skills they learn in my courses. Many students have gone on to use skills they learn in my classes in their research with other professors at Muhlenberg and within their current jobs.
Research, Scholarship or Creative/Artistic Interests
One of my favorite aspects of statistics is that it can be applied to any field of study. And I love learning and finding ways of applying statistics to new areas! I thoroughly enjoy working with students (and fellow faculty) on research or projects they are passionate about.
Some of my CUE projects with students include analysis of what makes an effective tweet, neurological effects of visual stimuli in flies, ideal conditions for raising isopods in a lab, characteristics of police forces that affect crime rates, the impact of wasted food in Muhlenberg's dining hall, and the effect of climate change on when flowers bloom.
In addition to working with students and faculty on collaborative projects, I also thoroughly enjoy many aspects of probability. I gave a presentation in 2019 on the game PIG, helped students prepare for the Actuarial Exam P, and worked with a student on diminishing urn models.
I have a keen interest in data visualization, and enjoy learning, coding, and applying visualizations any time I can!! A major focus of my own research involves statistics education: how to clearly communicate concepts, how students learn, and how assessment can be used to clarify expectations and motivate students.