Alison Kanak

Alison Kanak serves as an Associate Professor in the Biology Department at the University of North Georgia, actively teaching within the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program since 2019 with courses scheduled through Fall 2025. She instructs introductory biology sections primarily for freshmen, delivering both laboratory-based phage discovery and bioinformatics curriculum components.

Her research focuses on microbial diversity and bacteriophage evolution, utilizing Arthrobacter globiformis and Mycobacterium smegmatis hosts for student-led phage isolation and genomic analysis. Through the SEA-PHAGES framework, she integrates authentic research into undergraduate education, emphasizing hands-on microbiology techniques and computational genomics to advance understanding of viral evolution.

Dr. Kanak maintains consistent teaching engagement across 11 documented course sections from 2019-2025, typically instructing 8-13 students per term in 2 weekly sessions totaling 3-6 hours. As part of the national HHMI-funded SEA network, she contributes to collaborative phage genomics research while developing future scientists through structured discovery-based learning experiences.