Steven Heninger

Steven Heninger serves as a Professor at Allegany College of Maryland and is a key faculty member in the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program. He has instructed multiple sections of biology courses, including Bio 101 (phage discovery) and Bio 102 (phage genomics), from 2020 through the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year, often collaborating with Michèle Barmoy.

His research interests are deeply rooted in microbiology and phage genomics, with a strong emphasis on bioinformatics and evolutionary science. Through the SEA-PHAGES program, Professor Heninger engages undergraduate students in hands-on research for discovering and analyzing bacteriophages, contributing to the broader scientific understanding of viral diversity and evolution. His work specifically focuses on phage isolation using bacterial hosts like Microbacterium foliorum and Arthrobacter globiformis.

Professor Heninger has mentored over 80 undergraduate students across 14 course sections since 2020, with class sizes ranging from 2 to 15 students per term. His teaching integrates both in situ (wet-lab phage discovery) and in silico (genomic analysis) methodologies, providing comprehensive research experiences that align with national science education initiatives. He actively participates in SEA community events including workshops and symposia.

As part of the SEA-PHAGES institutional team at Allegany College of Maryland, he maintains laboratory facilities for phage isolation and collaborates within the national network of over 150 institutions advancing phage genomics education. His instructional approach emphasizes undergraduate research training in microbiology and computational biology through authentic scientific discovery.