Leslie Myint

Leslie Myint is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science at Macalester College. She teaches statistics and data science courses while collaborating with colleagues across mathematics, computer science, statistics, and data science disciplines.

Professor Myint's research spans multiple domains with a focus on statistics, data science, and causal inference. Her work has three primary thrusts: methodological development in causal inference techniques, applications of data science to sustainability and environmental justice initiatives, and innovations in statistics and data science pedagogy. She has contributed to projects involving high-throughput biological data analysis, kidney disease research, and graph-based knowledge representation systems. Her recent work emphasizes using data to advance sustainability initiatives and environmental justice, including involvement with the Zero Burn Coalition working to shut down the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) incinerator.

Analysis of Professor Myint's recent publications reveals a strong trajectory connecting methodological statistics with practical applications. Her work bridges theoretical causal inference methods with real-world challenges in sustainability, healthcare, and education. The recurring themes across her publications include alternative approaches to traditional statistical problems, interdisciplinary applications of data science, and creative solutions to complex data challenges. Her research demonstrates how statistical methods can be adapted to address time-varying confounding, improve literature review processes through graph databases, and enhance our understanding of biological systems.

Professor Myint is deeply committed to educational innovation, particularly in statistics education. She has developed courses and teaching materials focused on causal inference, statistical machine learning, and data science. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes beauty, meaningful work, and alternative grading approaches that move beyond traditional assessment methods. She has created lecture videos available on her YouTube channel and maintains course websites for many of her classes.

Outside the classroom, Professor Myint is actively engaged with environmental justice initiatives through the Zero Burn Coalition of the MN Environmental Justice Table. She also explores economic models that prioritize sustainability, as evidenced by her interest in doughnut economics and her digital garden writings on creating economies that allow us to thrive rather than focusing solely on growth.