The UCI School of Biological Sciences is honored to congratulate Developmental and Cell Biology Professor Aimee Edinger on being named the UC Irvine Dr. De Gallow Professor of the Year for 2021. This prestigious honor was bestowed to Professor Edinger as part of the 2021 Celebration of Teaching. The Celebration of Teaching awards are given annually to faculty, instructors and teaching assistants who have demonstrated excellence in undergraduate teaching.

During her time at UCI, Professor Edinger has served as an exceptional scientist and educator. Her lab has been a sought-after destination for coveted undergraduate research experience. She has been a school pioneer in the utilization of asynchronous strategies for inclusive teaching. When faced with the challenge of converting her courses to online learning this past year, she went above and beyond in accommodating her students without sacrificing the quality of their education.

BioSci’s core educational mission is to introduce students to the inner workings of scientific discovery. While our mission faced an unprecedented challenge during the pandemic, we were able to remain steadfast in our mission thanks to dedicated and innovative faculty like Professor Edinger.

Due to the unusual circumstances surrounding the past academic year, the Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation created a series of videos to honor the 2021 awardees in place of an in-person celebration.

In addition to the major award presented to Professor Edinger, there are four other 2021 Celebration of Teaching awardees in BioSci. Associate Professor Cascade Sorte was recognized as a Dean’s Honoree, and Assistant Professor Zeba Wunderlich received the Learning Experience Design and Online Teaching award. BioSci was also fortunate to have outstanding graduate students Angeline Dukes and Morgan Coburn selected as Most Promising Future Faculty.