Biology professor, student win awards
Article By: Agnes Hina
Dr. Cathy Whiting, a University of North Georgia (UNG) professor of biology, has won the 2023 Human Anatomy and Physiology Society's (HAPS) Gail Jenkins Teaching and Mentoring Award, and one of her students also received an award from HAPS.
The Gail Jenkins Teaching and Mentoring Award is given out annually to a HAPS member who helps students truly understand and retain more with active learning strategies. The award provides Whiting, with $1,000, and her HAPS Annual Conference registration fee is waived.
"I was so very thankful and completely overwhelmed," Whiting said. "Gail Jenkins was a dynamic and engaging anatomy and physiology instructor whose death left a hole in the hearts of many. I am truly honored to have my passion for teaching and mentoring recognized in this way."
Gail Jenkins was a dynamic and engaging anatomy and physiology instructor whose death left a hole in the hearts of many. I am truly honored to have my passion for teaching and mentoring recognized in this way.
Dr. Cathy Whiting
UNG biology professor
The 37th annual conference will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico from May 24-28 with a number of workshops hosted by Central New Mexico Community College. Whiting, who has attended several annual HAPS conferences over the years, looks forward to engaging with her colleagues.
While at the conference, Whiting will spend time with her publication team from Pearson and mentor seven UNG students who will be co-presenting two workshops and a poster presentation with her.
Juliza Abrego, a junior pursuing a degree in nursing, will also be attending the HAPS conference as she won $5,000 through the Marieb, Hoehn, and Haynes Award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and a waived registration fee for her diversity essay inspired by her biggest motivation, her daughter Alexandra.
"As a student who has fallen into the trap that I am not good enough or smart enough, this award reminded me that we are more than the struggles and bumps in the road we come by. Being a teen mother and a first-generation student has inspired me to continue advancing in my college career," the Gainesville, Georgia, native said.
Whiting struggled to settle on a career choice after graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in biology. In the meantime, she earned her teaching credentials and accepted a position as a high school science teacher. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arose the summer before she started teaching high school. The local community college needed someone to teach a general biology course and they had received permission from the Board of Regents to hire a high school teacher to teach it. Whiting was hired to teach college biology.
"Teaching that first lecture was one of the most amazing events of my life. I knew the very moment I walked out of that classroom that I had found my calling," Whiting said. "Students often ask me for career advice. My answer is always the same: Find your passion and then you will never work another day in your life."
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