Rodney King

Rodney King serves as a Professor in the Department of Biology at Western Kentucky University, actively engaged with the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program since at least 2014.

His academic focus centers on Microbiology and Phage Genomics, with significant contributions to undergraduate research education through hands-on phage discovery and bioinformatics instruction. Teaching spans both in situ (wet lab) and in silico (computational) approaches using bacterial hosts including Mycobacterium smegmatis and Microbacterium foliorum, preparing students for authentic genomic research experiences.

King has instructed over 20 course sections between Fall 2014 and projected Fall 2025, consistently serving as primary instructor for Biology 212/275 phage discovery courses and co-instructor for bioinformatics sections. His teaching methodology involves 2-4 weekly meetings with undergraduate cohorts typically comprising 14-37 students, predominantly freshmen but increasingly including upperclassmen in advanced sections.

As a core SEA-PHAGES faculty member, he participates in program infrastructure including the Phage Discovery Workshop, Phage Genomics Workshop, and annual SEA Symposium. His institutional role directly supports HHMI's mission to integrate real research into undergraduate biology curricula through structured phage genome analysis pipelines.