Thea Bjørnland

Associate Professor Thea Bjørnland holds a position in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at NTNU, within the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. She obtained her MSc in Industrial Mathematics (NTNU, 2014) and PhD in Statistics (NTNU, 2019). Her research focuses on statistical methodology for genetic association studies, hypothesis testing, and pedagogical innovations in statistics education. She leads the Statistics for Engineers project, developing hybrid and computation-based curricula across NTNU campuses.

Key research interests include extreme phenotype sampling designs, score tests in missing covariates, and educational technology integration. Recent work explores calculus education trends among engineering students and salmon lice delousing dynamics in aquaculture. She has published in Nordic Journal of STEM Education, Statistics in Medicine, and Nature Communications.

Teaching responsibilities include statistics courses for engineering programs (e.g., ISTT1001, TMA4245). She develops R Shiny apps for interactive learning, focusing on descriptive statistics, probability distributions, and error propagation. Current projects analyze student learning goals and engagement with digital resources.

Collaborative efforts include statistical software development (R package extremesampling) and interdisciplinary work in genetics and aquaculture. She actively participates in STEM education conferences and pedagogical workshops.