Three School of Computing Faculty Honored for Teaching Excellence

Great teaching inspires curiosity, builds confidence and helps students see what they can achieve. Across UT Austin’s School of Computing, dedicated faculty bring that spirit to their classrooms every day. We’re proud to celebrate three of those educators: Amanda Glazer, Fares Fraij and Layla Guyot, who have been selected for 2026 College of Natural Sciences teaching awards.

Glazer and Fraij will receive Teaching Excellence Awards, recognizing outstanding teaching at the undergraduate or graduate level. Guyot will receive the Stanley J. Roux, Jr. Excellence in Experiential Teaching Award, honoring faculty who bring authentic research and hands-on learning into their classrooms.

Amanda Glazer, assistant professor in the Department of Statistics and Data Science, applies expertise in causal inference and sports analytics to questions in science, society and sports. A former baseball operations analyst for the San Francisco Giants, she developed UT’s sports analytics course, helping students explore how statistics shapes decisions in professional sports.

Fares Fraij, associate professor of instruction in the Department of Computer Science, teaches algorithms, complexity and software engineering. His research spans automatic theorem proving, computer-aided instruction and visual-assisted pedagogy, exploring how visual and interactive tools help students understand mathematical and computational concepts.

Layla Guyot, assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Statistics and Data Science, prepares students for professional practice through hands-on learning. Her community-based teaching initiative connects students with local organizations to investigate research questions, including projects exploring environmental issues, transportation and public safety using City of Austin datasets.

These honors celebrate the care, expertise and creativity our faculty bring to educating the next generation. Their work supports the School of Computing’s commitment to preparing students with the technical depth, data fluency and human-centered perspective to take on complex challenges, and the confidence to put those skills to work.

Congratulations to Amanda, Fares and Layla, and thank you for everything you do for our students and our School of Computing community.