Harold Rathburn

Harold Rathburn serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Tarleton State University and is a core contributor to the HHMI Science Education Alliance (SEA) program. He actively participates in the Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (PHAGES) initiative, which engages undergraduate students in authentic bacteriophage research across institutional networks.

His research spans:

• Molecular mechanisms of bacteriophage biology
• Genomic annotation and evolutionary analysis of phage genomes
• Bioinformatics pipeline development for phage discovery
• Innovative pedagogy in undergraduate science education

Dr. Rathburn contributes to SEA's educational infrastructure through the Phage Discovery Guide and Bioinformatics Guide, while participating in annual workshops and symposia including the 2025 Phage Genomics Workshop and 2026 SEA Symposium. His work emphasizes collaborative, student-driven research in viral genomics and science education reform.