Pete Bettinger, associate professor of landscape planning and harvest scheduling in the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, was named Professor of the Year by Xi Sigma Pi, the student honorary academic society. The award, presented at the School’s 74rd Annual Spring Awards Banquet, recognizes Bettinger’s contributions to undergraduate and graduate teaching and advising.

Bettinger, who has been a teacher and researcher at UGA since 2002, teaches four courses, field orientation and measurement of forest resources; quantitative decision methods in forest management; aerial photo interpretation and advanced forest planning. He is also the faculty advisor to the Forestry Club, which recently took third place at the 48th Annual Southeastern Forestry Conclave, held in March at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas.

“Students are very good at identifying teachers who help them to learn and grow,” said Bruce Bongarten, associate dean for academic affairs in UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. “That they have conferred the Xi Sigma Pi Professor of the Year on Dr. Bettinger confirms their good judgement.”

Bettinger’s research looks at forest management, harvest scheduling and forest landscape planning. His work involves the use of Geographical Information Systems and operations research techniques in assessing and planning forest management practices. He has published more than 35 peer-reviewed articles in major academic journals.

Bettinger earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a PhD at Oregon State University. He is a member of the Society of American Foresters, the Council on Forest Engineering, and Phi Kappa Phi. He and his wife, Kelly, live in Watkinsville, Ga.