She holds a B.S. degree in Zoology from The Ohio State University and an M.S. degree in Wildlife Science from Purdue University. She received her Ph.D. from West Virginia University in Forest Resource Science and Wildlife Ecology and Management. During her time at Ohio State, Dr. Weakland volunteered for a project on songbirds, which developed her interest in ornithology. During her work with song birds, she served in various research positions including a Ph.D. Graduate Research Assistant and a Postdoctoral Research Biologist at West Virginia University. Dr. Weakland has co-authored several significant articles and has given numerous professional presentations.