{"690170":{"#nid":"690170","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Emily Weigel Receives National Award for Excellence in Ecology Education","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn recognition of her\u0026nbsp;extraordinary teaching, outreach, and mentoring activities,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/emily-weigel\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmily Weigel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has been awarded the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/esa.org\/about\/awards\/eugene-p-odum-award-for-excellence-in-ecology-education\/\u0022\u003EEugene P. Odum Award for Excellence in Ecology Education\u003C\/a\u003E by the Ecological Society of America (ESA).\u0026nbsp;Each year, the award celebrates a singleone individual\u2019s sustained, outstanding work in ecology education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m honored to receive the 2026 Odum Award,\u201d says Weigel, who is a senior academic professional in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cGeorgia Tech is widely recognized for its research excellence, but teaching is mission-critical to the ways we serve the public good. This award reflects the incredible work happening in our classes and communities that drives science, and science education, forward.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWeigel is among 10 individuals selected nationwide for annual ESA awards. \u201cThis year\u2019s award recipients have each contributed something important to ecology, often in very different ways,\u201d says ESA President\u003Cstrong\u003E Peter Groffman\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u201cThese are ecologists whose efforts have shaped the field, supported colleagues and created opportunities for others. I\u2019m glad to see that kind of work acknowledged.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAbout Emily Weigel\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWeigel\u2019s work focuses on improving biology education by examining how student backgrounds, values, and instructional practices shape learning outcomes. Her impact spans K\u201312 students, undergraduates, graduates, and members of the Atlanta community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKnown for her teaching innovations, she has pioneered new courses in biology, ecology, and statistics, and is also a leader in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EVertically Integrated Projects program\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFrom studying the dynamics of flu, to using drone aerial footage to monitor Georgia Tech\u2019s changing landscape, to a long-term project monitoring the trees of the Campus Arboretum, Weigel shares that \u201cstudents thrive when they develop skills through real-world experiences.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWeigel has also creatively infused the traditional \u201cnature\u201d topics and fieldwork found in ecology curricula with modern technology and programming skills used in research. \u201cEffectively introducing professional skills, like programming in the language R, is innovative nationally,\u201d she says. By making R, an open-source programming language, more accessible, \u201cwe\u2019re preparing undergraduates for success in graduate school and their careers, and empowering them to learn other programming languages in the future.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn addition to teaching, Weigel plays a central role in mentoring and supporting students across the Institute.\u0026nbsp;She serves as the undergraduate academic advisor for around one-sixth of Georgia Tech\u2019s Biology majors, mentors graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants, and is\u0026nbsp;an instructor for the \u201cTech to Teaching\u201d capstone course in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cetl.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Teaching and Learning\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe award celebrates Weigel\u0027s sustained, outstanding work in ecology education.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The award celebrates Weigel\u0027s sustained, outstanding work in ecology education."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-05-06 14:54:00","changed_gmt":"2026-05-06 16:03:47","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675732":{"id":"675732","type":"image","title":"Emily Weigel, School of Biological Sciences","body":null,"created":"1732636877","gmt_created":"2024-11-26 16:01:17","changed":"1732636877","gmt_changed":"2024-11-26 16:01:17","alt":"Emily Weigel, School of Biological Sciences","file":{"fid":"259393","name":"Emily Weigel.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/26\/Emily%20Weigel.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/26\/Emily%20Weigel.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1688447,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/11\/26\/Emily%20Weigel.jpg?itok=3q5Ssysf"}}},"media_ids":["675732"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/esa.org\/blog\/2026\/05\/06\/ecological-society-of-america-announces-2026-award-recipients\/","title":"Ecological Society of America announces 2026 award recipients"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}