About Melanie Mormile

Melanie Mormile

Professor
Biological Sciences
M-2 Schrenk Hall

573-341-6346 | mmormile@mst.edu

Biography

Melanie Mormile currently serves as the Associate Dean for Research and External Relations for the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. She is also a professor of Biological Sciences. She began her career at Missouri S&T in 1999 as an assistant professor. Prior to joining S&T, she did post-doctoral work for Drs. Jim Fredrickson and Brent Peyton at the Pacific Northwest National Lab. She holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Oklahoma.
At Missouri S&T, Mormile has published on many topics in environmental microbiology that span from the fate of antibiotics in pig waste lagoons, identifying new species of halophilic bacteria, to possible industrial uses of halophiles. She holds two patents on biohydrogen production from cellulosic materials and one on the production of propanediol from waste glycerol, all under alkaline and saline conditions. In addition, Mormile serves as the main faculty advisor for the Mars Rover Design Team (MRDT) of Missouri S&T since its inception in 2012. Along with research, administration, and advising MRDT, she also teaches courses that range from the Introduction to Biological Sciences (freshmen) to Bioremediation (graduate level).

Research

Research interests

Acidophiles, Alkaliphiles, Anaerobic Metabolism, Antibiotic Resistance, Astrobiology, Biodegradation, Bio-Energy Production Bioremediation, Environmental Microbiology, Evaporites, Extremophilic Bacteria, Fluid Inclusions in Salt, Halo-alkaline Lakes, Halophilic Bacteria, Halotolerant Bacteria, Hydrogen, Hypersaline Environments, Soap Lake-Washington State, Acidic Saline Lakes of Southern Western Australia

Publications

Awards and recognition

Recognition

  • (2017) Inaugural Wakesman Foundation Lecturer in Environmental Microbiology
  • (2008) Missouri University of Science and Technology's Woman of the Year