Mark B. Watson

Mark B. Watson is Professor of Biology and Chair of the Natural Science Department at the University of Charleston, with over three decades of academic experience spanning plant physiology and Appalachian amphibian conservation.

Education:

• B.S. in Biology and Botany, Marshall University (1986)
• M.S. in Biology, Marshall University (1988)
• Ph.D. in Botany, University of Georgia (1996)
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Penn State University

His research integrates molecular plant stress physiology with field-based conservation biology, focusing on woodland salamander responses to habitat destruction and invasive species, alongside pollutant effects on fern life cycles. Early work centered on polyamine metabolism in Arabidopsis, evolving into regional amphibian studies.

Publication trends reveal a strategic shift from 1990s plant biochemistry (polysaccharides, polyamine enzymes) to 2000s field ecology, with 15 peer-reviewed works culminating in Appalachian salamander conservation guides and experimental acidification studies.

Dr. Watson actively mentors undergraduates through hands-on research, supervising projects from antimicrobial resistance testing to invasive species impact assessments, emphasizing real-world environmental problem-solving in West Virginia ecosystems.

Outside academia, he engages in church activities, fishing, hunting, nature photography, and traditional Irish music performance on mandolin and bouzouki.