Tumulesh Solanky, a professor and chair of mathematics at the University of New Orleans, is the winner of the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of Statistics at the University of Connecticut. Solanky earned his doctorate in statistics from UConn in 1990.

Solanky will be honored this fall at an award ceremony at UConn where he also will deliver a colloquium talk. The faculty members of the statistics department unanimously selected Solanky as this year’s winner.

“This prestigious award is a testament to your remarkable achievements and significant contributions to the field of statistics as an esteemed UConn alumnus,” said Kun Chen, professor of statistics, in informing Solanky of his award.

Solanky, who has taught at UNO for more than three decades, has served as the math department chair for the past 16 years. He is also the Michael and Judith Russell Professor in Data/Computational Sciences. He has generated several hundred thousand dollars in sponsored research and published numerous books, chapters and journal articles. He also lectured extensively at professional conferences around the globe. Solanky has also served as a statistical expert for the Attorneys General offices of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri and Arizona, as well as for the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.

Solanky’s areas of research include statistical consulting, statistical sampling, statistical modeling, sequential analysis, statistical computing, and biomedical applications. In addition to serving on a number of university committees and in professional organizations, Solanky won the Seraphia D. Leyda University Teaching Fellow Award in 2009 and the 2018 Cooper Mackin Medallion, given to a faculty or staff member who has made outstanding contributions in support of the University’s mission.