Kelsey Bitting in the Department of Environmental Studies has been recognized among early career faculty for innovative and effective teaching of earth science.
The Geological Society of America has honored an Elon University faculty member in the Department of Environmental Studies with its 2025 Biggs Award for Excellence in Earth Science Teaching.
Assistant Professor Kelsey Bitting, a member of the GSA since her undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt University, said she is honored to be recognized by the society for her contributions to student learning.
The Biggs Award recognizes innovative and thoughtful early-career faculty who are engaging in undergraduate education. Faculty at any academic institution who have been teaching full-time for 10 years or fewer are eligible for the award.
“This award is a nice way to validate my work as a professor, and encourages me to continue to work toward being a better teacher, having strong relationships and increasing the positive impact on my students,” Bitting said.
Bitting’s teaching emphasizes inquiry-based and community-engaged learning, with students partnering on projects with groups such as Clean Haw River and the Town of Elon’s Sustainability Committee. She incorporates field-based and virtual experiences to connect earth science concepts to real-world applications and uses alternative assessments to build self-efficacy in their learning.
“What role should nature play in our lives, and what does it mean to live in the ‘right relationship’ with the natural world on both individual and societal levels?” Bitting said. “Those are not questions students learn to grapple with through lecture alone. In my classes, students engage in observation, mindfulness activities, hands-on data collection, discussion and writing-to-learn.”
Bitting said that environmental issues touch every life and shape nearly every part of society. She designs her courses to help students recognize those connections and reconsider their preconceptions and values related to the environment.
Associate Professor Ryan Kirk, chair of the Department of Environmental Studies, said Bitting’s recognition is well deserved.
“We are so happy for Kelsey to have been recognized with this award,” Kirk said. “She has been an inspiration to all of us in environmental studies with her dedication to evidence-based pedagogies and empathetic instructions that centers student well-being.”
In addition to teaching environmental studies courses in the Department of Environmental Studies at Elon, Bitting regularly mentors undergraduate researchers, has authored or co-authored more than a dozen scholarly articles, and has made presentations at geoscience workshops and teaching conferences across the country.
Founded in 1888, the Geological Society of America is a global scientific society with members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100 countries. The organization supports geoscientists with tools, resources and connections to advance research and education in the field.