I really like my job, but my family is my favorite. My wife Sarah is witty, charming, and beautiful with a completely unique mix of skills and interests. She’s a life coach/pageant coach, rock climbing instructor, garment designer/seamstress, local handywoman, eBay & FB Marketplace pro (and upcycle flipper), and way out of my league. We have three kids (GBG). My eldest daughter is clever and funny. She’s into drawing, creative writing, science, video games, reading, and music. She and I often watch movies together and she’s always generous with the “courtesy laugh” to acknowledge, if not encourage, my dad jokes. My son is thoughtful, creative, and always up for trying something new. He loves to build, fix, and invent things, and he has an amazing knack for thinking of interesting “would you rather” questions on the spot, but you have to be careful because sometimes when you answer he replies “Nope! The correct answer was…” My youngest daughter has a big personality in a tiny package. She’s outgoing and athletic; even as a preschooler, she cracks jokes, loves a challenge, and regularly refers to her older brother and sister (twice her age) as “the kids.” The family hobbies include downhill skiing, swimming at the lake, and road trips (e.g., family near Erie PA, family in Minnesota, beach in NC). I also enjoy trail running in Rothrock State Forest, playing the drums, a good DIY challenge, and my favorite books for casual reading are the popular science non-fiction type. Also, my faith has always been a central part of my life too. I’m not the type to push my personal beliefs on others, but I do really love hearing what other people do & don’t believe and why.
For a bit more detail with a personal/professional blend, here’s a 2023 “Meet a Member” interview post with the ASA Section on Statistics & Data Science Education: https://statisticseducatio.wixsite.com/mysite/post/meet-a-member-matt-beckman
Thesis: Assessment of Cognitive Transfer Outcomes Among Introductory
Statistics Students (link)
Co-Advisors: Joan Garfield & Robert delMas
Thesis: Staggered Nested Designs for Laboratory Round Robin
Experiments
Advisor: Douglas M. Hawkins
Secondary education concentration
Graduated with high distinction–top 4% class rank in Eberly College of
Sciences
Associate Research Professor (2022-Present)
Assistant Research Professor (2016-2022)
Chair of Undergraduate Curricula (Spring 2016-Present)
Instructor (Spring 2015)
Adjunct Faculty (Fall 2008; Spring 2009)