Megan Dennis

Megan Dennis serves as an Associate Professor in the Biology Department at Marist University, actively leading multiple sections of the BIOL130 Phage Discovery course through the Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program since Fall 2021, with instruction continuing through Fall 2025.

Her research centers on microbial genomics and bacteriophage evolution, utilizing Arthrobacter globiformis as a model host system for phage isolation and characterization. This work integrates hands-on undergraduate research into microbiology education, advancing the SEA-PHAGES initiative's mission to explore viral diversity and genomic evolution through authentic scientific discovery.

As an educator, Professor Dennis consistently teaches 20-student sections (primarily freshmen) with 5.5 weekly contact hours across three sessions, emphasizing phage discovery techniques and genomic analysis. She participates in national SEA programming including the upcoming 2025 Phage Genomics Workshop and 2026 SEA Symposium, contributing to this HHMI-funded collaborative network that bridges classroom instruction with frontier genomic research.