Amanda Wijesinghe
PhD Statistics
About Me
I am from Sri Lanka, where I completed my schooling in the mathematics stream with a focus on combined mathematics, physics, and chemistry. I earned my bachelor’s degree in statistics with minors in mathematics and computer science at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and later worked as a business analyst in the airline industry before starting my PhD. In my free time, I enjoy reading books and watching movies. I currently live in the U.S. on my own, as all my family members are still in Sri Lanka.
Why I Came to USU
I chose to pursue graduate studies abroad to experience new cultures, meet new people, and broaden my academic and personal perspectives. I applied to three universities in the U.S. and selected Utah State University because it closely matched my research interests. Logan offers a calm and quiet environment, and I was also excited to experience winter, since Sri Lanka’s tropical climate does not have snow.
Advisor
Research Focus/Study
My research focuses on statistical modeling and spatial data analysis, with particular interest in:
- Bayesian methods for spatial prediction and uncertainty quantification.
- Extensions of random-set theory for modeling and handling uncertainty in spatial data.
- Applications of spatial statistical models to environmental and geophysical data.
- Developing approaches that combine both hard and soft data sources to improve prediction accuracy.