Rate My Professor Ayse Bilgin

Ayse Bilgin is a Professor and Honorary Professor in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at Macquarie University within the Faculty of Science and Engineering. She holds degrees including BEng, MBA, MMaths, PhD, PostGradDip HE (L&T), and MHE (L&M). Her research specializations include applications of statistics in health sciences, such as investigations into myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), breast cancer metastasis, colorectal cancer, and omega-3 fatty acid levels in adolescents, alongside pedagogical research in statistics education. Key interests encompass learning approaches in statistics, work-integrated learning in data science and statistics, professional ethics in statistics classrooms, and the impact of learning spaces on students’ statistical thinking.

Bilgin has made significant contributions to statistical education through leadership roles, serving as President of the International Association for Statistical Education (IASE) from 2021 to 2023, Past President from 2023 to 2025, Vice President from 2015 to 2019, and President-Elect from 2019 to 2021. She is an elected Member of the International Statistical Institute (ISI) since 2015 and Vice President of ISI from 2025 to 2029. She also acts as Co-Chair of the Statistical Education Section of the Statistical Society of Australia (SSA) and is one of the first 100 women in Australia to become a Professor. Her teaching excellence is recognized by awards including the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2009), Macquarie University Vice-Chancellor’s Citation, ATEM Award for Community Engagement (Highly Commended, 2017), joint-recipient of Australian Awards for University Teaching (2017), and Macquarie University Excellence in Research: Five Future-shaping Priorities (Healthy People) (2017). Her research team was a finalist for the Eureka Prize for Innovation in Medical Research (2017). Notable publications include "Mapping the complexity of ME/CFS: evidence for abnormal energy metabolism, altered immune profile, and vascular dysfunction" (2025), "Breast cancer metastasis progression is associated with elevated activity of kynurenine monooxygenase and kynureninase" (2024), "Professional ethics in statistics classrooms" (2024), and "Women Working in Mathematics in Australian Universities, and the Women in Mathematics Special Interest Group (WIMSIG)" (2024). She serves on the Editorial Board of Teaching Statistics and has given invited lectures such as "Aligning Statistics Education with Today’s Workplace Needs Through Project Work" (2024).