Danisha Baker
McKnight Dissertation Fellowship
Statistics

My academic research includes wavelet analysis and Bayesian methods. My recent work focuses on function estimation and modeling of heavily skewed continuous response data; particularly when applied to biomedical and epidemiological situations. My work strives for a balance between excellence in the practice of statistics on important real-world problems and opportunities to innovate. The use of statistics is expanding inside and outside of academia, with much of the growth in areas using large data sets from novel public health related sources. My goal is to respond to this growth by developing effective and practical statistical tools and by developing new methods of teaching these tools in and out of the classroom.

As a first generation college student the higher education journey has not always been easy. While my family and friends have been my #1 supporters there is unfortunately a part of this journey in which they cannot relate.  It was not until I became a McKnight fellow that I was overcome with a sense of belonging, filled with pride in my work, and reminded consistently of the impact that my contribution to statistics will have in society.  Through their financial, academic, and emotional support, I will soon be Dr. Baker. For that I am forever grateful!