Simon Allard

Simon Allard serves as an Additional Instructor at Madison Area Technical College within the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program. During Fall 2022, he co-taught section 32972—a phage discovery and microbiology course utilizing Gordonia rubripertincta as the bacterial host—with primary instructor Beth Behr.

His research interests center on bacteriophage genomics and evolutionary science, directly supporting the SEA-PHAGES initiative's mission to advance genomic literacy through undergraduate research. This work integrates microbiology with bioinformatics, emphasizing hands-on phage isolation and characterization techniques that bridge laboratory and computational biology.

Allard instructed 12 students across academic levels (4 freshmen, 6 sophomores, 2 juniors) in a structured 5-hour weekly curriculum meeting three times per week. His role involved guiding students through phage discovery protocols, genomic analysis, and collaborative research practices within the national SEA-PHAGES network.

As part of the SEA ecosystem, Allard contributes to program-wide resources including the Phage Discovery Guide, Bioinformatics Guide, and Annotation Forum. He participates in institutional collaborations through platforms like PhagesDB and the Genome Exchange, supporting the program's expansion of authentic research experiences in microbial genomics.