Julie Merkle

Julie Merkle serves as an Associate Professor in the Biology Department at the University of Evansville, actively participating in the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program since 2019. She has instructed multiple sections of BIOL-119, an undergraduate phage discovery course, across nine consecutive fall terms through Fall 2025.

Her research centers on bacteriophage genomics and evolutionary science using Streptomyces griseus as a host organism. This work integrates microbiology, genomic analysis, and evolutionary studies within a national educational framework that emphasizes authentic undergraduate research experiences in phage isolation and characterization.

As primary instructor for 8+ course sections, Merkle has mentored approximately 190 students—predominantly freshmen—with consistent collaboration from colleagues Daniel French and Ann Powell. Her laboratory work contributes to the SEA-PHAGES network's mission of advancing genomic understanding through student-driven phage discovery.