Steven Cresawn

Steven Cresawn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at James Madison University and a long-standing instructor in the HHMI SEA-PHAGES program since 2014. He teaches undergraduate courses in phage discovery (BIO 203) and genomics (BIO 204), engaging students in authentic research from isolation to bioinformatics.

His research interests center on bacteriophage biology and genomics, using diverse bacterial hosts including Mycobacterium smegmatis and Streptomyces griseus. Students in his courses isolate novel phages, sequence genomes, and contribute to the PhagesDB database, advancing knowledge of phage diversity and evolution.

Although specific awards are not detailed, his role in the nationally recognized SEA-PHAGES program, funded by HHMI, underscores his impact on science education.

Dr. Cresawn has mentored over 300 undergraduate students across 15+ course sections since 2014. The program's HHMI funding supports phage isolation, sequencing, and analysis, providing students with cutting-edge research experiences.

As part of the SEA-PHAGES network, he collaborates with institutions nationwide, contributing to a growing database of phage genomes and fostering the next generation of scientists.