About
About
Hi, I'm Katherine
I teach mathematics and statistics one-on-one, in AP Statistics, AP Calculus, and AP Precalculus. I came to the subject by an unusual road. Mathematics did not come easily to me; in my early schooling I struggled with it deeply and for years, and I remember with precision what it is to sit before a problem that will not open. I went on to earn a degree in mathematics and a graduate degree in statistics, and the distance between those two facts is the foundation of my work as a teacher.
Because I have been the struggling student, I do not regard difficulty as a verdict. I regard it as information, a marker of the precise place where understanding stops, which is usually earlier and more particular than the student supposes. The work of each session is to locate that place, to rebuild from it, and to remain until the reasoning is the student's to carry alone.
Education
Academic training
Graduate and undergraduate degrees in statistics and mathematics, with coursework spanning everything my students study and a great deal beyond it. The coursework matters less than the judgment it builds: seeing the structure underneath a problem, tracing an error to its source, and explaining a topic a second way when the first doesn't land.
M.S. Statistics: Advanced Methods & Data Analysis
Rigorous graduate training in statistical theory, methodology, and computation. The core was the full theoretical inference sequence, where the estimators, tests, and intervals of applied statistics are derived and proved rather than taken on faith, alongside regression for independent and correlated data, the design and analysis of experiments, categorical data analysis, and statistical computing, with applied biostatistics and a capstone in applied statistics carried out in R and Python.
Graduate coursework
B.S. Mathematics
A deeply proof-based mathematics core: the full calculus sequence, linear algebra, differential equations, and numerical methods, together with two semesters of real analysis, where calculus itself is rebuilt from rigorous foundations, and formal training in proof writing. This was paired with statistics coursework in probability, statistical theory, regression, and computing. I began university in engineering, which left me with a broad foundation across the physical sciences as well; it helps me meet students wherever their coursework sits.
Undergraduate coursework
Experience
Teaching experience
My teaching is grounded in years of one-on-one and university-level instruction. My current work, and full focus, is the private instruction practice.
2025 – Present
Private Mathematics & Statistics Instructor Current
Independent · Remote
I run a private instruction practice teaching mathematics and statistics to high school and college students, with a focus on AP coursework. Each session is built around how the student actually reasons: I watch closely as they work, diagnose whether a difficulty is conceptual, procedural, or a matter of execution, and adjust the teaching to what I see. I assess not only whether a student reaches the correct answer but how they get there, using recurring patterns in their work to shape pacing, explanation, and practice over time. A complete curriculum I write myself and detailed written and verbal feedback sit behind the work, so each session builds on the last.
2024
Mentor, Directed Reading Program
Statistics & Probability Association, University of Washington · Seattle, WA
Designed and led a one-on-one short course on statistical learning, covering linear regression, classification methods, resampling techniques, and regularization. Created all course materials and lectures, guided weekly discussions, and provided ongoing feedback to deepen the student's understanding throughout the quarter.
2022
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Department of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Nevada, Reno · Reno, NV
Led discussion sections for an undergraduate statistics course, designed and delivered lecture materials, and provided one-on-one and group tutoring to help students understand complex statistical concepts. Graded exams and quizzes with detailed feedback, and mentored undergraduates with academic support and guidance throughout the course.
Research
Statistical work
Alongside teaching, my graduate work included independent methodological research and applied projects in statistics and machine learning. It is the depth behind the instruction, particularly in AP Statistics. Each project below has a full write-up.
Independent research Sole author 2025
A permutation-based random forest diagnostic for linear mixed models
A nonparametric diagnostic I designed for detecting misspecification in linear mixed models, where standard residual plots and information criteria often miss subtle violations. A random forest measures leftover structure in the model's residuals, and a permutation test that respects the clustered design supplies the null distribution, without assuming normality.
Machine learning · 2025
Conformal prediction for multi-label genre classification
A fine-tuned DistilBERT paired with conformal prediction, returning calibrated sets of genre labels with at least 90% coverage. The guarantee was met; the write-up is about what it cost.
Read →Machine learning · 2025
Fine-tuning BERT models for recipe classification
Twenty-two configurations of BERT Base, BERT Large, and RoBERTa compared across 20,000 recipes. The smallest model won, and validation accuracy turned out not to predict the result.
Read →Causal inference · 2024
Causal analysis of food insecurity and type 2 diabetes
A doubly robust estimate of the effect of food insecurity on diabetes across three NHANES cycles. The finding was null; the contribution is an account of what survey data can support.
Read →Personal
Outside the classroom
I live in Seattle. Away from the whiteboard I'm usually baking, fussing over my espresso setup, adding to a slowly growing ceramics collection, or spending time with my cat, Blue.
If you're curious whether I'd be a good fit for your student, the private instruction page has the full picture, or just email hi@katherinedelno.com.
