Profile

• Organization

  Frostburg State University

  
  
• Website

  http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/biol/people/faculty-staff/dr-catherine-vrentas/

  
  
• ORCID

  (not set)

  
  
• Interests

  1. teaching

  
  
• Address

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• Biography

  I am currently an Assistant Professor of Biology at Frostburg State University (a Master's level public comprehensive in western Maryland), as well as a collaborating researcher with the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD). I completed my B.S. at Penn State, my Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and postdoctoral work at the USDA (Ames, IA) and the NIH. My background is in molecular biology, protein biochemistry, and bacterial gene expression, including work with E. coli stress response, prions, and anthrax. My teaching background includes about 15 years of experience in informal science education and public outreach, including an interim appointment a a state Biotechnology educator for the University of Wisconsin-Extension. I also participated in CIRTL network programs and and the "Preparing Future Faculty" program, including course module development, at UW and Iowa State. At Frostburg, I teach all of the microbiology sections (lecture and lab) as well as the General Biology course for both majors and nonmajors, and am a contributor to the General Biology lab course. I have introduced a inquiry research project into the microbiology course that has been a lot of fun. I have also taught the department Senior Seminar course. This past year, I worked with multiple undergraduate research teams on a genetic screen, a metagenome project, a science outreach project, and an "astrobiology" collaboration.

  
  
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