Associate Professor Shelton Peiris

Academic staff member in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Sydney.

He has been offered a number of senior academic positions overseas. However, he would continue with his contributions, achievements, services and develop all aspects of the academic life for his own professional satisfaction and for future reference.

He is a member of FIRN.

Postal address:	Associate Professor Shelton Peiris School of Mathematics and Statistics F07 University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
Office:	Room 819 Carslaw Building
Email:	`shelton@maths.usyd.edu.au`
Telephone:	+61 2 9351 5764
Department Fax:	+61 2 9351 4534

Research Interests

Statistical analysis of stationary and non-stationary time series data, theory and applications of estimating functions, financial time series modelling, saddlepoint and Edgeworth type apporoximations related to time series problems.

I am a member of the Statistics group.

Research in Teaching

It is known that many higher education institutions do not recognise and/or ignore the importance of "good teaching". This is especially visible in the area of mathematical sciences. This hostile reaction to "good teaching" and encourage "bad teaching" (if not worse or worst teaching) at managerial level have created a great discomfort for many students. Now we are witnessing the negative results of this in many ways. Examples:

Poor mathematical skills of some university students.

Hyperbolic (if not exponential) decay of continuing student numbers.

School children with least interests of mathematics.

What is good teaching?

Good teaching is a complex process that begins and ends with students. It takes into account who they are, what they already know, what interests they may already have, and what they will need to know. But subject expertise alone does not a good teacher make. The difference between subject expertise and the kind of explanatory expertise that results in good teaching is real important. In sense, the real difference between being an expert in something and being an expert who teaches is showing students how you got-and how they can get-the rabbit out of the hat should be identified.

Q: How can one identify Satisfactory teaching, Superior teaching and Outstanding teaching?

Unless the authorities/superiors find ways to resolve this using reasonable procedures and practical guidelines to identify 'good teachers', standards of mathematics and statistics education will deteriorate at hyperbolic or exponential rate! If this trend continues, in 10 or 15 years time we may need about 10% of the current staff to teach mathematics/statistics as there will be vry interested students doing mathematics.

General Information

Shelton Peiris did his PhD at Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria. After graduation from Monash in 1987, he lectured at the University of Moratuwa and the University of Melbourne before joining what was then the Statistics Department in 1990. He has been here ever since except for visiting appointments at the University of Waterloo (1993), the University of Manitoba (1997), the University of Iowa (1997), Thaksin University (1998) and Pennsylvania State University (2002).

His recent publications include joint authorship with * C.R.Rao, * Bovas Abraham, * Vo Anh, * David Allen, * A.Thava, * J.Robinson and * S.Yadavalli.

Major Journals with papers

Journal of Econometrics, Journal of Time Series Analysis, Journal of Multivariate Analysis, Stochastic Processes and Applications, Metrika, the Australian Journal of Statistics, Biometrical Journal, Statistics and Probability Letters and the Australian Journal of Management.

More Information

Currently, his main research interests are in developing methods for modelling financial time series data and resampling, saddlepoint and Edgeworth type apporoximations related to time series problems. A long term interest in the teaching of statistics/mathematics has also developed into a research interest with particular emphasis on the role of technology in education and learning in statistics.

Recently Allan, McAleer, Peiris and Chan won an ARC Linkage grant of A$295000 (for 2004-2007) for the project "Modelling stock market liquidity in Australia and the Asia Pacific Region".

He was a council member and treasurer of the SSAI (Statistical Society of Australia Inc.) NSW branch (2003-2006). He has organised a number of workshops and invited paper sessions in Australia and overseas. He is an elected member of ISI.

He was the Director of Statistics Teaching Program (2005-2006).