Justin Pruneski

Dr. Pruneski’s experience as a student at a small liberal arts college helped shape his interest in Biology and provided his first experiences with research and teaching. He pursued these passions in graduate school and earned a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Genetics studying the regulation of gene expression in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. After teaching for a year as a Visiting Professor at another university, Dr. Pruneski joined the department in 2013, where he enjoys working closely with students to help them develop their own passions for Biology, research, or teaching. He teaches courses in Introductory Biology, Non-Majors Biology, and Microbiology and works with students on independent research projects related to Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Science Education. Dr. Pruneski is active in multiple professional organizations, frequently attends science education research conferences, and regularly presents and publishes his education research. 

Courses Taught

BIO 110: Contemporary Problems in Biology
BIO 123: Biology I
BIO 311: Biology Seminar
BIO 325: Microbiology
HNR 203: Plagues of Man: How Infectious Disease Has Shaped Human History

Research Interests

Active learning pedagogy, bacterial isolation and characterization, testing antimicrobial agents, regulation of gene expression