Faculty & Staff

  • Image of Melissa Christopherson

    Melissa Christopherson

    Teaching Faculty

    2521 Microbial Sciences Building
    Office: (608) 890-1970
    christophers@wisc.edu

Education

2004 B.A. Biology: Luther College, Decorah, Iowa
2011 Ph.D. Microbiology: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Postdoctoral Research: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Areas of Study

Undergraduate teaching

Teaching

  • Microbiology 102: General Microbiology Lab
  • Microbiology 303: Biology of Microorganisms
  • Microbiology 304: Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
  • Microbiology 527: Physiology of Microorganisms Laboratory
  • Microbiology 551: Physiological Diversity of Procaryotes Laboratory

Activities

As part of the Bacteriology instructional team, I coordinate and teach Microbiology lectures and lab courses on a rotating basis. I love engaging with the many gifted students at UW-Madison about microbiology and strive to help my students achieve their goals. Therefore, I aim to incorporate research, critical thinking, engagement in active learning, and the Wisconsin Idea into every class that I teach. I am inspired by the power that microbiology has to impact the environment, industry, and personal lives, and I believe that engaging with students and with the general public about this power makes our community stronger. I am also interested in diversity and outreach in the microbiology field and undertake activities and attend workshops to promote those interests.