Ellen Fireman

Hi, my name is Fireman. I've always been drawn to logic and I've always loved teaching, but believe it or not, I never planned to become a statistics professor. I didn't even major in math, I was a philosophy major at Harvard! It's a long story, and a very long job history (I even drove an 18 wheeler for a week!), but the truth is, it wasn't until I hit 40 and starting teaching math and stats at the U of I that I found my true calling. So my message to students is this: Don't worry about finding a career right away; explore your options, be patient and try to find the job that's meant for you, one that lets you be your best self, that turns your weaknesses into strengths and that lets you make a difference in this world. That's what teaching statistics is to me, particularly teaching Stat 100 and 200, my all time favorite courses!