Matthew T McDonald

Matthew T. McDonald is an Associate Teaching Professor and Director of Laboratory Services in the Department of Biology. His teaching and research focus on Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), with an emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning that engages students in the practice of authentic science. As a SEA-PHAGES faculty member, he teaches discovery-based courses in which students conduct original bacteriophage research. Matthew earned his PhD in Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science from Drexel University under the mentorship of Dr. Gary Rosenberg, Chair of Malacology at the Academy of Natural Sciences. His doctoral research used historically collected museum specimens to investigate the aminochronology of representative Jamaican land snail species. Prior to his appointment as a full-time faculty member, he served for twenty years as Director of Laboratory Services and as an adjunct professor in the department.