Biography

Dr. Melanie R. Mormile is 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, Dr. 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 and advising MRDT, she also teaches courses that range from the Introduction to Biological Sciences (freshmen) to Bioremediation (graduate level).

Disciplines and Research Interests

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

Education

• 1995 – Ph.D. in Microbiology, University of Oklahoma
• 1988 – M.S. in Biological Sciences, University of Louisville
• 1985 – B.S. in Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati

Positions Held at Missouri S&T

• September 2010 to present: Full Professor
• July 2019-December 2022: Associate Dean of Research and External Relations for the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education
• July 2018-June 2019: Interim Associate Dean of Research and External Relations for the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business
• July 2016-May 2018: Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs
• February 2015-June 2016: Special Assistant to the Provost for Faculty Affairs
• September 2004-August 2010: Associate Professor
• September 1999-August 2004: Assistant Professor