May Chen

May Chen is a Professor in the Department of Biology at Evergreen Valley College, actively engaged in the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program. This national initiative provides undergraduate students with authentic research experiences in bacteriophage discovery and genomic analysis.

Her research spans genomics, evolutionary biology, and microbiology with strong emphasis on science education innovation. Through SEA-PHAGES, she develops curriculum resources including the Phage Discovery Guide and Phage Genomics Guide, integrating wet-lab techniques with bioinformatics analysis to advance genomic literacy. Her work focuses on bacterial host-virus interactions and phage evolutionary mechanisms.

Dr. Chen participates in key SEA program events including annual symposia, faculty meetings, and genomics workshops. She mentors students in phage isolation, DNA sequencing, and genome annotation while contributing to national educational frameworks that transform undergraduate biology education through authentic research.