Teaching

I prioritize building a supportive environment where students can actively explore and apply statistics and data science. I’ve helped design hands-on activities and real-world data projects that connect theory to practice, helping students see the relevance of concepts beyond the classroom. I focus on demystifying complex mathematical and programming ideas by breaking them into manageable steps and encouraging peer collaboration. By consistently inviting questions and feedback, I tailor my instruction to address individual challenges and promote growth. Ultimately, I want students not only to understand statistics technically but to develop the confidence to analyze data critically and communicate their insights clearly.

Courses

Iowa State University

  • Instructor STAT 3300: Probability and Statistics for Computer Science, Fall 2025

  • Instructor STAT 3260: Business Statistics II, Summer 2025

  • Instructor STAT 3050: Engineering Statistics, Spring 2025

  • Instructor STAT 1010: Introductory Statistics for Non-Majors, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024

    🏆 Award: Graduate College Teaching Excellence Award, 2024

  • Teaching Assistant (Lab Instructor) STAT 3260: Business Statistics II and STAT4820/5820: Regression for Social and Behavioral Research, Fall 2022

Grand Valley State University

Outreach & Volunteering

K-12 Work

  • Iowa State CyMath Mathematics and Statistics Tutor, Winter 2024 - present

📝 What My Students Say

“Payton’s easy going nature and the effort she put into class to help us learn. She deserves more credit for her hard work. She made stats understandable to me and not scary.” - Spring 2023

“Payton is a lovely instructor, please pay her a million dollars and give her a degree asap.” - Spring 2023

“I really liked the format: it was consistent, and the labs and homework more than prepared me for the exams. Despite being in a big room and this being a gen-ed course that a lot of students have to take, I thought the lectures were engaging! The instructor seemed to enjoy teaching and was almost always in a good mood, etc.” - Spring 2024

“…despite not being super interested in math/more quantitative stuff, I thought the course was well-designed, and I might even say I enjoy statistics a little bit now. .” - Fall 2024

Proof

Spring 2025 Ratings | Fall 2024 Ratings | Spring 2024 Ratings

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