Lasanthi Watagoda

Dr. Lasanthi Watagoda is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Appalachian State University. She joined the university in 2017 as a Visiting Assistant Professor and transitioned to her current role. Her research focuses on statistical learning, particularly in linear regression, variable selection, prediction intervals, and bootstrap methods, with additional interests in actuarial science. She holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Dr. Watagoda teaches a variety of courses, including Statistical Data Analysis, Linear Regression Models, and Probability.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Mathematics, Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Research Interests:

Dr. Watagoda’s work emphasizes developing methods for inference after variable selection, with applications in statistical modeling and prediction. Her research integrates bootstrap techniques to enhance the accuracy of prediction intervals and explores shrinkage estimators for improved model performance. She also applies machine learning to wearable sensor data for sprint assessment and examines theoretical aspects of regression models, such as consistency and asymptotic properties.

Teaching:

She has taught numerous courses, including STT 3851 (Statistical Data Analysis II), STT 4830 (Linear Regression Models), and introductory statistics courses. Her teaching emphasizes reproducible research workflows and the use of tools like R and RStudio.

Publications:

Her recent work includes studies on distribution-free bootstrap prediction intervals, shrinkage estimators, and the theoretical underpinnings of variable selection in regression. These contributions highlight her focus on advancing statistical methodology and its practical applications.

Labs/Teams:

No specific lab or team affiliations are mentioned in the provided texts.