It is named after Eugene Odum, renowned UGA biologist, the father of ecosystem ecology, and the founder of the Institute.

In 1993 the Institute (having dropped "radiation" from its name) assumed the status of a school within the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

The College of Environment & Design (CED) was formed in 2001 by joining the School of Environmental Design and the Institute of Ecology.

Six years later, on July 1, 2007, the Institute split from CED and was renamed as the Odum School in honor of its founder, Eugene Odum.

[1][3] The following undergraduate degrees are offered by the Odum School: