Richard Pollenz

Richard Pollenz is a Research Professor at the University of South Florida actively leading the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program. Since Fall 2018, he has consistently served as primary instructor for multiple undergraduate research sections in both phage discovery (in situ) and bioinformatics (in silico), mentoring over 500 students primarily through freshman-level courses.

His research centers on bacteriophage isolation and genomic analysis using diverse bacterial hosts including Gordonia rubripertincta, Microbacterium foliorum, and Arthrobacter globiformis. This work integrates wet-lab microbiology with computational genomics to advance understanding of phage evolution and host interactions. The program provides authentic research experiences where students progress from soil sampling to phage characterization and genome annotation.

Professor Pollenz teaches two distinct course formats annually: Phage Discovery sections meeting 3x/week for 5+ hours with 14-16 freshmen per section, and Bioinformatics sections meeting 1-2x/week for 3-4 hours with 17-30 students. His Fall 2024/Spring 2025 schedule includes three active sections with 44 total students, while Fall 2025 sections are already planned. Supported by HHMI funding, his program contributes phage isolates and genomic data to national databases through the SEA-PHAGES network.