Stan Koobs wins Gutiérrez Toscano Prize for best performance in MSc in Statistical Science

Koobs, who recently started as a PhD candidate in Econometrics at Erasmus School of Economics and the Tinbergen Institute, gained this recognition in Oxford where he graduated with distinction in the master in Statistical Science earlier this year. For his dissertation, he worked on the theoretical properties of a novel algorithm that performs Variational Inference. At Erasmus School of Economics, he is being supervised by Professor Richard Paap and Associate Professor Wendun Wang and might continue this project.

The prize is named in memory of Pablo Gutiérrez Toscano, who was awarded a distinction in the MSc in Applied Statistics in 1996. In 1998, he was tragically killed in road accident. His family and friends offered a donation to establish the annual prize.  The prize may be awarded by the examiners to a candidate whose performance in the MSc in Statistical Science (formerly the MSc in Applied Statistics) is judged to be the best.

The fact that the Gutiérrez Toscano Prize was won by alumni Tjebbe Bodewes (in 2018) and Alicia Curth (in 2020), shows how strong the econometrics programme is in the Netherlands and certainly in Rotterdam. Both Bodewes and Curth obtained their bachelor’s degree in Econometrics and Operations Research from Erasmus School of Economics. Today Tjebbe works as a product manager at Zivver. Alicia conducts PhD research at the University of Cambridge.