Prof. Burcu Hudaverdi | Risk Management | Best Researcher Award

Dokuz Eylul University | Turkey

Prof. Dr. Burcu Hüdaverdi Aktaş is a distinguished scholar in statistics with deep expertise in dependence modeling, copula theory, statistical inference, reliability analysis, and machine learning–based applications. She completed her undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral studies in Statistics at Dokuz Eylül University, where she has also built her academic career. Rising through the ranks from Research Assistant to Associate Professor and later Full Professor, she has contributed extensively to teaching, departmental leadership, and postgraduate supervision. Her research spans copula-based modeling, multivariate dependence structures, Bayesian estimation, time series forecasting, risk analysis, environmental statistics, and gene expression classification. She has published widely in SCI/SCI-Expanded journals and collaborated on interdisciplinary applications involving finance, energy systems, CO₂ emissions, biological data, and remote sensing. As former Head of the Statistics Department and member of key academic committees, she has played a central role in academic governance. She has supervised numerous master’s and doctoral theses and served as jury member for professorship and associate professorship evaluations. Recognized for her contributions to statistical science, she continues to advance modern statistical methodologies and promote innovative applications across scientific fields.

Dr. Amon Exavery | Longitudinal impact evaluation methods for non-experimental interventions | Best Researcher Award

Pact Tanzania

Dr. Amon Exavery is a distinguished statistician and public health researcher with over 15 years of professional experience in research, evaluation, and learning. He holds a Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Dodoma, an MSc in Population-based Field Epidemiology from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and a BA in Statistics from the University of Dar es Salaam. Currently serving as the Senior Research and Learning Advisor at Pact Tanzania, he has led large-scale health and social service research projects, including the ACHIEVE and Kizazi Kipya programs—the largest OVC initiatives in Africa. His expertise spans quantitative and qualitative methodologies, impact evaluation, statistical modeling, and capacity building for data-driven decision-making. Dr. Exavery’s research interests include HIV/AIDS, OVC programming, WASH, malaria, nutrition, family planning, gender inclusion, reproductive and child health, and sustainable livelihoods. He has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications and presented at numerous international conferences. His analytical leadership has influenced public health strategies and policies across sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Exavery has also provided consultancy services to WHO, Columbia University, NAS, and other institutions, reflecting his global contribution to evidence-based health programming. His career exemplifies excellence in applying data science to advance public health and social development outcomes.

Profile: ORCID

Featured Publications

Exavery, A., Kirigiti, P. J., Balan, R. T., & Charles, J. (2026, February). Enhancing longitudinal impact evaluation of non-experimental interventions: A comparative analysis of generalized estimating equations and multilevel models based on empirical evaluation of temporal change in food security following an economic empowerment intervention. Evaluation and Program Planning, 107, 102722.

Exavery, A., Kirigiti, P. J., Balan, R. T., & Charles, J. (2025). Determinants of participation in WORTH Yetu economic empowerment intervention among caregivers of orphaned and vulnerable children in Tanzania: A longitudinal multivariable logistic regression analysis. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 15, 101959.

Exavery, A., Kirigiti, P. J., Balan, R. T., & Charles, J. (2024, August). Longitudinal evaluation of the influence of WORTH Yetu on household economic status based on the count of non-asset resources for orphaned and vulnerable children’s well-being in Tanzania. Child Indicators Research, 17, 10133–10145.

Exavery, A., Katbi, M., Kirigiti, P. J., Balan, R. T., & Charles, J. (2024, April 16). Multivariate mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression models with difference-in-differences estimator of the impact of WORTH Yetu on household hunger and socioeconomic status among OVC caregivers in Tanzania. PLOS ONE, 19(4), e0301578.

Exavery, A., Alam, K., Charles, J., Barankena, A., Bajaria, S., Minja, E., Mulikuza, J., Mbwambo, T., Ally, A., Mseya, R., & others. (2022, February 25). Impact of household economic strengthening intervention on food security among caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children in Tanzania. PLOS ONE, 17(2), e0264315.

Prof. Burcu Hudaverdi | Risk Management | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Burcu Hudaverdi | Risk Management | Best Researcher Award

Dokuz Eylul University | Turkey

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications