Sandra J. Simon

Sandra J. Simon serves as Natural Sciences Lab Manager & Instructor in the School of Arts & Sciences at Emory & Henry College. She teaches laboratory courses including CHEM 111L (General Chemistry I Lab), CHEM 112L (General Chemistry II Lab), BIOL 105L (Introduction to College Biology Lab), and BIOL 117L (General Biology Lab).

She holds a Ph.D. in Biology (2020) and B.S. in Biology (2014), both from West Virginia University. Her doctoral research focused on community genetics, examining how host plant genes influence herbivore insects, pollinators, and pathogens in tree populations.

Simon's research integrates genetics, ecology, and evolutionary biology with emphasis on:

• Plant-insect community dynamics
• Genetic control of species interactions
• Arthropod biodiversity patterns
• Host-pathogen coevolution

Her publications demonstrate consistent focus on genetic influences on ecological communities in forest ecosystems, particularly using Poplar and Willow systems.

She manages laboratory operations for natural sciences and previously held positions as lab technician at WVU Genomics Core and microbiology lab manager at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.