Rebecca Simmons, an associate professor of biology at the University of North Dakota, has been honored as the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching from the Entomological Society of America – the world’s largest organization of insect experts. The award is presented annually to one teacher among the 7,000-member society.
“I was surprised and very flattered to be selected,” Simmons said. “Seeing the list of eminent entomologists who have won this award, and being put among them, makes me anxious, honored, and humbled at the same time. It’s sort of terrifying!”
An entomologist by training, Dr. Simmons has employed her insect expertise in teaching a range of biology courses at the University of North Dakota – including evolution – for the past 17 years. She has been a member of the Entomological Society of America for 25 years. This year marks the end of her four-year stint as president of the Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity Section of the organization, which represents more than 1,000 members who study insect anatomy, classification, and history.
Dr. Simmons is a graduate of Bridgewater College in Virginia, where she majored in biology. She holds a master’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Minnesota.