Seth Wenger, a professor at the Odum School of Ecology, recently was named a University of Georgia Athletic Association Professor in Ecology.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Wenger earned his Ph.D. in Ecology at the Odum School in 2006 and worked several years for the nonprofit Trout Unlimited before returning to UGA in 2014 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor in 2020 and full professor in 2025.

Wenger’s research focuses primarily on freshwater ecology and conservation biology, producing highly applied results in collaboration with external partners in search of practical solutions to challenging conservation and water management problems.

A prolific writer, he has 100 peer-reviewed publications. Known for an integrative, rigorous and quantitative approach, his research has appeared in top journals such as Nature Communications, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Ecology, and Ecosystems.

Over the past five years, he served as PI or co-PI on nearly $25 million in research funding, including both large grants for integrative conservation science and smaller grants targeted toward public engagement and local conservation.

“This combination of collaborative ‘big science’ and science at the local level illustrates how Dr. Wenger’s contributions to freshwater conservation can truly be measured from local to global scales,” Dean Mark Hunter said in his nomination letter.

Wenger’s dedication to translating the results of his research into benefits for Georgia communities has built trust with federal, state and local partners, according to Hunter. This pairing of rigorous science with deep community engagement led Hunter to appoint Wenger as director of public service and outreach for the Odum School in 2025.

Wenger also serves as director of science for the River Basin Center, an interdisciplinary center that brings together affiliate faculty from across UGA to address management and policy needs in freshwater systems across the southeastern U.S.

Endowments like Wenger’s Athletic Association Professorship play an important role in helping to foster the highest caliber faculty at UGA in a wide range of disciplines.