Cecilia Cotton, recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award, 2024

Cecilia Cotton, Statistics and Actuarial Sciences

Cecilia Cotton

Dr. Cecilia Cotton is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences. Cecilia has been teaching at the University of Waterloo since 2009 and has been committed to creating a supportive and empowering environment in the classroom. This commitment inspired students to endorse Cecilia as a distinguished teacher, a former student noted: “Her insightful thoughts and patient guidance helped me overcome numerous difficulties I encountered.“ One of Cecilia’s former students points out her strong commitment to educational innovation: “she also cares about students' feelings about her lectures and collects feedback from students to help her structure the lectures better.” Colleagues have also noted her devotion to leadership: “Cecilia’s dedication and care for her students’ learning and mental health, in her undergraduate classes, her graduate student supervision, and her faculty leadership make her an inspirational educator.” Another colleague mentions that “Prof. Cotton consistently delivers very well organized and clear lectures even when the material is inherently difficult and technical.”