Deborah Nolan's work with CDSS goes back to the beginnings of the data science major at Berkeley, including co-developing the course Data 100, Principles and Techniques of Data Science. Deb has previously served as associate dean for Data Science Undergraduate Studies (2020-2021), chair of the Department of Statistics (2017-2019, 2003-2006), associate dean of the Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (2006-2013), and interim dean of that division (2009). 

Deb is widely recognized for her innovation in pedagogy and for developing programs to encourage students from all backgrounds to learn statistics and data science. She has co-authored several texts: “Stat Labs” with Terry Speed; “Teaching Statistics” with Andrew Gelman; “Data Science in R” with Duncan Temple Lang; and “Communicating with Data” with Sara Stoudt. Deb co-developed and ran the Berkeley Summer Math Institute and Explorations in Statistics Research, both summer programs for undergraduates. She also designed Berkeley Unboxing Data Science, a summer program for high school students. Deb is also a founding co-director of CalTeach, a teacher-training program for STEM majors at Berkeley.

Deb is the recipient of Berkeley’s Distinguished Teaching Award, the Chancellor’s Award in Public Service, and the American Statistical Association Waller Distinguished Teaching Career Award. She held the Zaffaroni Family Chair in Undergraduate Education at Berkeley.