David Boose

David Boose is a Professor in the Department of Biology at Gonzaga University, where he has served on the faculty since 1998. He is a core instructor for the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program, teaching undergraduate phage discovery courses across multiple academic terms.

His primary research focuses on plant population dynamics with specialized expertise in conservation and restoration of rare plant species. Concurrently, through the SEA-PHAGES initiative, he conducts hands-on microbiology and genomics research involving bacteriophage isolation and characterization using Mycobacterium smegmatis and Microbacterium foliorum hosts, contributing to national collaborative efforts in evolutionary science education.

Professor Boose has mentored over 140 undergraduate students since 2016 through nine distinct BIOL.105L sections, predominantly teaching freshmen (approximately 80% of enrolled students) in 3-hour weekly laboratory sessions. His instructional approach emphasizes authentic research experiences in phage discovery, with consistent section enrollments ranging from 14-16 students across Fall and Spring semesters through 2025.

No scientific awards were documented in the source materials.

As a key participant in the SEA-PHAGES network, he contributes to institutional collaborations advancing genomic literacy, regularly attending program workshops and symposia including the 2025 Phage Discovery Workshop and upcoming 2026 SEA Faculty Meeting. His work integrates field-based plant conservation research with classroom-based phage genomics, creating vertically integrated research opportunities for Gonzaga undergraduates.