New Statistics Instructor Spotlight

New Instructor in the Department of Statistics Brittany Juraszek loves to teach.

Juraszek currently teaches one section of “Statistical Methods I” and two sections of “Statistical Methods II.” She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2010 and her master’s degree from Mississippi State University in 2012.

Juraszek came to the University of Central Florida in August from Santa Fe College in Gainesville after having worked there for four years. She wanted the opportunity to teach more advanced courses than the sole introductory statistics course the college offered. She also wanted to move to a bigger city and already had an affinity for Walt Disney World.

The university setting has proved to be fulfilling for Juraszek thus far.

“The caliber of students here is wonderful. Overall, they are motivated, intelligent, and such a pleasure to teach,” Juraszek said. “Having students that are genuinely interested in what they’re learning about makes my job even more enjoyable.  They are very inquisitive and bring challenging questions. I really enjoy that.”

Students from all majors take Juraszek’s classes. She believes that an understanding of statistics is necessary in any career path and is therefore glad to teach a broad range of students.

Juraszek also plans to take classes toward her doctorate degree while teaching at UCF. The university offers up to six credit hours’ worth of waived tuition for staff and faculty members. She said that she loves to learn, even while she’s teaching.

“Being a student while also being an instructor is a very humbling experience,” Juraszek said. “It reminds me of the challenges that students face on a day to day basis. The struggle is very real. I think that having the student perspective while simultaneously being an instructor helps me to be a better instructor.”

Juraszek has not always known that she wanted to be a teacher. As an undergraduate student she majored in mathematics and took a statistics course as part of the curriculum. She said that she fell in love with it. She pursued her graduate degree in the subject and had an assistantship that required her to teach an introductory class.

“I eventually realized that I really liked teaching and was pretty good at it too,” the educator said. “Being able to share my passion for and knowledge of statistics is the greatest opportunity.  I always say that I have the best job in the world.”

When Juraszek isn’t in class, she likes to travel. A frequent destination is Mississippi, where her family lives. She is also an annual passholder at Walt Disney World and visits the parks often.

Juraszek is looking forward to spending more time around Orlando and at UCF.