I am an Assistant Professor of Microbiology in the Biological Sciences Department at Plymouth State University. Our lab is located on the second floor (Room 215) of the Boyd Science Center. If you’re curious about who we are and what we do, or if you just want to come by for some light conversation, please come on by! In the meantime, take a look at our website to learn a little more about us and feel free to contact me.

Microbiology was once considered a sub-discipline of biology, but it has gained much momentum and has become an ever expanding field with its own set of sub-disciplines. The importance of microbiology can be seen in our everyday lives from the food we eat and the beverages we enjoy to life-saving insulin and antibiotics to environmental bioremediation and the development of biofuels for our vehicles. To this end, I teach courses that emphasize microbiology both in and out of the classroom and research environment. I am a strong advocate for citizen scientists, and I do my best to educate as many people as possible in everything microbiology through my two main courses, Microbiology for Majors (BI3040) and Microbiology for Nurses (BI2340). More information about both of these courses can be found here.

My research interests are in the field of Bacteriology in relation to human infectious disease. In particular, I am studying Vibrio cholerae, the etiological agent for the human intestinal disease cholera, trying to decipher the mechanism by which clinical isolates are demonstrating increased virulence during infections.

We offer an excellent opportunity for both undergraduate and graduate students to be immersed in the fields of microbiology and bacteriology, and experience hands-on training for a microbiology related career in academia and/or industry. This research experience can be taken for credit through Undergraduate Research (BI4950). Click here to learn more about this course.

Click here to read more about my research program.