Lisa Bonner

Lisa Bonner, Ph.D., serves as Department Chair of Science and Mathematics and Professor of Biology at William Peace University in Raleigh, North Carolina. A tenured faculty member since 1988, she ranks among the institution's most senior educators and leads collaborative research initiatives that integrate immersive student learning with real-world environmental challenges.

Her academic credentials include a BS and MS in Biology from Middle Tennessee State University and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Mississippi State University. Dr. Bonner has maintained continuous involvement with Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society as faculty sponsor since 1984.

Dr. Bonner's research centers on aquatic ecosystem integrity, specializing in Crabtree Creek (a Neuse River tributary) and PCB contamination in North Carolina waterways. She pioneers interdisciplinary approaches combining biological surveillance with physicochemical analysis to monitor environmental health and guide remediation efforts. Her international fieldwork spans Costa Rica's biodiversity studies, Yucatan's tropical ecology, and Galapagos conservation policy.

Her publication trajectory reveals consistent focus on freshwater ecosystem dynamics and environmental stressors, increasingly incorporating cross-disciplinary methodologies from biology, chemistry, and mathematics. This evolution reflects her commitment to training undergraduates in comprehensive environmental assessment techniques through hands-on research.

Accolades include:

• Alumnae Distinguished Professorship Award (2016-2019)
• Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award (2016)
• Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Society (2014)
• Program Development Equipment Grant (2000)
• Faculty Development Research Grant (1999)
• North Carolina Biotechnology Grant (1997)
• McCormick Distinguished Teaching Award (1993)
• Janirve Foundation Grant (1990)
• Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society membership since 1984

As a dedicated mentor, Dr. Bonner guides students in presenting research at venues including the National Conference of Undergraduate Research and Association of Southeastern Biologists. Her externally funded projects with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences demonstrate successful grant acquisition supporting amphibian stress response studies and PCB contamination monitoring.

The Science and Mathematics Department under her leadership operates as an integrated research hub where biology, chemistry, and mathematics faculty collaborate with students on EPA Superfund site investigations, benthic macroinvertebrate sampling, and long-term ecological monitoring of Crabtree Creek, creating authentic scientific experiences that transform classroom learning into environmental stewardship.