Dr. Wesley Burr to receive the 2026 Excellence in Teaching Award

Ottawa, ON – The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) is pleased to announce that Dr. Wesley Burr (Trent University) has been named the recipient of the 2026 Excellence in Teaching Award, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the teaching and learning of mathematics and statistics. Dr. Burr will receive his award at the upcoming 2026 CMS Summer Meeting in Saint John, New Brunswick. 

Dr. Burr received his Master’s in Mathematics and PhD in Statistics from Queen’s University, completing his PhD in 2012. His research interests include statistics education, statistical computing, mathematical and statistical reasoning, time series analysis, and environmental health statistics. He is currently an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at Trent University. Since joining Trent in 2016, he has played a transformative role in undergraduate statistics education at the university. Through innovative teaching practices, thoughtful curriculum design, and a deep commitment to student success, Dr. Burr has helped reshape how statistics is taught and experienced by students across multiple disciplines.

“Dr. Burr exemplifies the qualities of an exceptional educator through his innovative teaching methods, unwavering commitment to student success, and significant contributions to undergraduate mathematics education.”

A central aspect of Dr. Burr’s work has been the redevelopment of Trent’s mathematics and statistics curriculum. He has designed or substantially revised nine undergraduate statistics courses, which together form a cohesive program that integrates theoretical understanding with practical computational skills. His courses emphasize guided exploration of statistical concepts and make extensive use of the R programming language, allowing students to work with real data and develop both conceptual understanding and practical analytical skills. He further led the redesign of Trent’s mathematics courses and programming, regularizing course offerings, introducing new courses, and adapting the curriculum for both service- and mathematics major-focused students.

Dr. Burr is also known for pioneering the use of mastery-based grading in his statistics courses. This approach allows students multiple opportunities to demonstrate understanding and focuses assessment on learning and improvement rather than one-time performance. The system has been widely praised by students for reducing stress while encouraging deeper engagement with course material.

“After taking this course, I find myself wishing more courses were taught with the mastery scheme.”

“Wesley Burr is an educator who truly makes a difference.”

Beyond the classroom, Dr. Burr has made major contributions to improving the technological infrastructure that supports teaching and learning. At Trent University, he led the local implementation and rollout of WeBWorK, an open-source platform for auto-graded homework that now serves thousands of students across multiple departments. He also developed and continues to maintain a cloud-based computational framework running on Kubernetes that allows hundreds of students to simultaneously access tools such as R and Sage for coursework and experimentation.

Dr. Burr is also widely recognized for his dedication to mentoring students. He has supervised dozens of undergraduate research projects and summer students, many of whom have gone on to pursue graduate studies in mathematics, statistics and related fields, as well as over twenty graduate students to date. His commitment to mentorship was recognized in 2022 when he received Trent University’s inaugural School of Graduate Studies Award for Outstanding Mentorship for New Mentors.

His teaching excellence has been recognized repeatedly at Trent University. Among his honours are the Symons Award for Excellence in Teaching (2019), which is the university’s highest teaching distinction, and the Decanal Award for Teaching Excellence in the Sciences (2023).

Dr. Burr’s impact extends well beyond his institution. He has been deeply involved in advancing statistics education nationally and internationally. Within the Statistical Society of Canada, he has served on the executive of the Statistics Education Section for six of the past ten years, including as President, and played a leading role in establishing teaching awards within the society. He has also contributed to the International Data Science in Schools Project, an international initiative aimed at integrating data science into secondary school curricula, and serves as an Associate Director for the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute, championing the voice of smaller institutions in that institute. 

Through his innovative teaching methods, dedication to students, and leadership in statistics education, Dr. Burr has had a profound impact on the learning experiences of students and educators alike. The Canadian Mathematical Society is proud to recognize his contributions with the 2026 Excellence in Teaching Award.

About the Excellence in Teaching Award
The Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes sustained and distinguished contributions in mathematics education at the post-secondary undergraduate level at a Canadian institution. The award was established in 2004 to recognize teaching excellence as exemplified by effectiveness in the classroom and/or commitment and dedication to teaching students.

For more information, visit the Excellence in Teaching Award page.

About the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS)
The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) is the main national organization whose goal is to promote and advance the discovery, learning and application of mathematics. The Society’s activities cover the whole spectrum of mathematics including meetings, research publications, and the promotion of excellence in mathematics competitions that recognize outstanding student achievements. The CMS is a registered non-profit, charitable organization and depends on grants, funding, and generous donations from sponsors, benefactors and community members to be able to carry out its activities.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. David Pike (Memorial) Chair, Excellence in Teaching Award Committee Canadian Mathematical Society chair-tasc@cms.math.ca

or

Dr. Termeh Kousha Executive Director Canadian Mathematical Society tkousha@cms.math.ca