Spotlight on the Ecological
Society of America

The Ecological Society of America (ESA) has been dedicated to education along with research and application since its inception, and a majority of its more than 7,000 members are engaged in some form of teaching, public outreach, or training. Indeed, one of the highlighted goals in ESA's recently adopted long-range plan is "Contributing to ecological curricula and instruction."

Instrumental in the educational programs of the Ecological Society of America are Dr. Diane Ebert-May, Director of the Science and Mathematics Learning Center and associate professor of Biological Sciences at Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, Ariz.), and Dr. Alan R. Berkowitz, Head of Education, Institute of Ecosystem Studies (Millbrook, N.Y.). Both Dr. Ebert-May and Dr. Berkowitz have published articles relating research to education and hold leadership positions in the Ecological Society of America.

Central to the ESA focus on ecology education are its efforts to improve undergraduate teaching through curriculum development, faculty enhancement, and instructional materials development. The society also aims to influence academic reward systems to embrace a broader profile of scholarship.

Deeply concerned about underrepresentation of minorities in ecology, ESA is partnering with The College Fund (UNCF) and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to increase the diversity of the ecology-related professions and to improve ecology education for minority students. The SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Development and Sustainability) program is designed to cultivate an interest in ecology among minority students during their first years in college by supporting recruitment efforts, faculty and student support services, and innovative ecology courses. The society sponsors the attendance of minority students at its annual meetings and encourages their participation in the undergraduate poster session, now a regular feature of the national meeting.

"Our society is making substantial contributions to enhancing undergraduate education for all students and their instructors," said Dr. Alan Berkowitz, ESA Vice President for Education and Human Resources. Each of the ESA annual meetings has educational forums such as symposia, workshops, roundtable discussions, papers, and posters that address current topics in teaching and learning. Publications provide another way to support education. "Ecology 101," for example, a feature of the quarterly ESA Bulletin, includes articles about teaching and curricula. Experiments to Teach Ecology, a collection of investigative laboratories suitable for college courses, is a multi-authored resource book edited by Dr. Jane Beiswenger (Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming) and published by the society. Reports in Issues in Ecology are designed to present major ecological issues in an easy-to-read manner and are being used in many undergraduate classrooms. The Sustainable Biosphere Initiative: An Ecological Research Agenda, a report produced by distinguished ESA members, is also used in many undergraduate classrooms.

Dr. Diane Ebert-May, ESA Education Section Chair-Elect, is proud that her society is a leader in promoting scholarship in education, noting that ESA members are exploring roles for professional societies to broadly encourage faculty scholarship. "We are asking our members to approach scholarship in teaching with the same rigor they bring to their scientific research," said Dr. Ebert-May. "Professional societies can help faculty along this pathway by fostering collaboration with science education researchers. Together, our professional societies need to consider mechanisms for rewarding scientists who contribute in substantive ways toward education."