Vassie Ware

Vassie Ware serves as Professor and SEA Program Director at Lehigh University's Biological Sciences department, leading the Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science program. She has taught numerous phage-related courses since 2014 through upcoming semesters in 2025, instructing students across all undergraduate levels from freshmen to seniors.

Her research interests center on bacteriophage genetics and genomics, with particular expertise in Mycobacterium smegmatis phages. Her work spans both wet laboratory techniques (phage hunting, microbiology, molecular biology experiments) and bioinformatics analysis (genome annotation, comparative genomics). She has expanded her research to include alternative bacterial hosts such as Streptomyces griseus and Microbacterium natoriense, exploring diverse phage-host interactions.

Dr. Ware's advanced courses involve sophisticated research methodologies including genome mutagenesis, RNAseq analysis, immunity testing, and DOGEMS analyses. She frequently collaborates with colleague Margaret Kenna across multiple course sections and semesters, demonstrating a strong institutional partnership in phage education.

Her teaching approach emphasizes hands-on research experience, with students conducting independent projects that contribute to the broader SEA-PHAGES/SEA-GENES scientific community. Courses often involve variable credit options (1-3 credits) accommodating different research intensities up to 10 hours per week.