Winterstein’s student-centered philosophy of education has inspired and guided a variety of career paths.
Scott Winterstein, professor in the Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Biology, received the Wildlife Society’s Excellence in Wildlife Education Award in recognition of his exemplary teaching and contributions to improving wildlife education.
Winterstein has been an undergraduate and graduate educator and leader in the field of wildlife ecology and management for over 30 years. Winterstein's teaching philosophy is based on the belief that teaching is for the students, not the teacher, which has enabled him to build a trust-based teaching framework into all of his courses.
“If your students understand that you care about what they want to do and who they want to become, not just whether they're learning the material for the next test, they will accept that what you teach them will be valuable to their life and professional goals,” Winterstein said in a personal statement after his nomination. “They will match their efforts to yours. They will allow themselves to be challenged beyond their comfort level. They will value education over grades.”
Winterstein has been a professor at MSU since 1986 and has taught seven courses over the years, including a study abroad course to Kenya. Through his leadership, Winterstein quickly earned a reputation as a trusted student advisor and helped many students hone their career trajectory.
“As an undergraduate freshman, I was initially unsure of what I wanted to specialize in within the field of wildlife management,” Michigan State University doctoral student Benjamin Luukkonen wrote in his letter recommending Winterstein. “Scott's passion for applying statistics to wildlife population ecology and management was infectious, and after that class I quickly realized I wanted to be a quantitative wildlife ecologist.”
Angela Yuan, one of Winterstein’s former undergraduate learning assistants, recalls changing her major to environmental studies as a result of Winterstein’s encouragement and dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion.
“As a child of Chinese immigrants, I grew up isolated from the natural resources field,” Yuan wrote in her letter of support to Winterstein. “Winterstein helped me to let go of my assumptions that I could never work in this field and encouraged me to be open-minded. As I learned more about his background and the environmental movement, my passion grew. In one particularly inspiring lecture, Winterstein took time out of his day to teach me about BIPOC and women scientists/environmentalists. For me, as a woman of color, this lecture was extremely helpful in envisioning a successful career in this field.”
Outside of the classroom, Winterstein is actively involved in the TWS College and University Education Working Group, has organized and participated in symposia, published numerous education-related articles, and given multiple presentations at the TWS Annual Conference. He also participates in the TWS Biometrics Working Group. He has been a member of TWS since 1986.
In recommending Winterstein for the Excellence in Wildlife Education Award, Henry Kampa, senior associate dean of the Michigan State University Graduate School, said Winterstein has always exceeded expectations as an educator.
“As an educational leader and a model for teaching and learning in the classroom, Dr. Winterstein is giving back to the next generation of wildlife educators, wildlife managers, researchers and non-natural resource professionals who will become more informed citizens interested in protecting our natural resources for future generations.”
Winterstein will receive the Excellence in Wildlife Education Award at TWS's 2024 annual conference in Baltimore, Maryland, in October.