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Lawrence R. Aaronson, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Biology
Harold T. Clark Professor of Microbiology

Education
  • B.S., Biological Science, Florida State University
  • Ph.D., Microbiology, Rutgers University
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine

Honors and Awards
  • Crisafulli Distinguished Teaching Award, Utica College, 1996
  • Harold T. Clark Award for Research, Utica College, 1997
  • Carski Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award, American Society for Microbiology, 2007
  • Harold T. Clark Professor of Microbiology, Utica College, 2010
Student Researchers
​Angelina Le and Genesis Campbell performing a mutant hunt in P. uticensis.
Emily Le (L) and Martha Cash '22 (R) identifying transposon insertion mutations in P. uticensis.
Nicole Pickett '21 isolating bacteriophages that infect Pseudomonas uticensis.
Current Research Group, 2022​-2023​
  • Selmina Huskic '23: Effects of quorum signals on growth and flocculation in industrial strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae​; analysis of antifungal secretions from P. uticensis.
  • Karlie McCumber ‘20: Differential gene expression in sliding and non-sliding cells of Bacillus cereus.
  • Nayeli Delgado ‘24: Differential gene expression in sliding and non-sliding cells of Bacillus cereus.
  • Genesis Campbell ‘26: Effects of macrolide antibiotics on biofilm formation and pyomelanin secretion in P. uticensis.
  • Angelina Le, Proctor High School ‘25: Effects of macrolide antibiotics on biofilm formation and pyomelanin secretion in P. uticensis.
  • ​Josh Watson '22: Effects of quorum signals on growth and flocculation in industrial strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
  • Gladys Leitch ‘22: Identification and analysis of a novel Mycobacterial species.

Distinguished Lab Alumni

  • Martha Cash (2022): Graduate Student, SUNY Upstate Medical University
  • Emily Le, Clinton High School (2022): Student at Middlebury College, VT.
  • Karlie McCumber (2020): Research Assistant, Masonic Medical Research Laboratories, Utica, NY
  • Emra Klempic (2018): Cardiac Surgery RN Project Coordinator, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, 2018-2020; M.S. in Microbiology, Indiana University, 2022.
  • Celia DeJohn (2018): Ph.D. candidate, University of Buffalo - Roswell Park Center for Cancer Research, 2018-present
  • Pamela Lawrence (2017): Analytical Chemist, MedMen, Utica NY, 2017-present; Research Assistant, Masonic Medical Research Laboratories, Utica NY, 2019
  • Mary Brockett (2016): Ph.D., Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 2021; Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania 2021-present.
  • Kate Zeigler (2013): Ph.D. 2019, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
  • Lyndsay Avery (2011): Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 2018; Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania; Adjunct Lecturer, Utica College; Assistant Professor of Biology, St. Michael’s College, VT
  • Kayla (Kracke) Penta (2011): Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 2016; Clinical Research Coordinator, Invocare Clinical Research Center, 2017; Adjunct Professor, York Technical College, 2017-present; Postdoctoral Fellow, North Carolina State University, 2017-2019; Assistant Professor of Biology, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Elmira Campus, 2019-present
  • Amanda Butler (2009): Ph.D., Mayo University, 2014; Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Miami School of Medicine, 2014-2017; Lead Scientist, NASA Ames Laboratory, 2017-present.
  • Eva (Szymanska) Mroczek (2008): Ph.D., University of Alabama - Birmingham, 2013; Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Alabama - Birmingham; Adjunct Lecturer, Utica College
  • Scott Britton (2007): M.S., Johns Hopkins University, 2012; M.B.A., Marist College, 2019. Research and Development, Duvel Brewery, Belgium; Adjunct Lecturer, Utica College; President, American Society of Brewing Chemists, 2019-2020; Ph.D. Student, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Sara Johnston (2004); Ph.D. University of Rochester, 2009; Research Scientist, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), 2009 - present.
  • Julia van Kessel (2003): Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 2008; Postdoctoral Fellow, Princeton University, 2009-2013; Associate Professor of Biology, Indiana University, 2013-present.
  • Jennifer (Gerlach) Herzog (1997): M.S., M. Phil., Yale University, 2000. Associate Professor of Biology, Herkimer College, 2001-present.
  • Susan Zullo (1992): Ph.D The George Washington University, 1999; Congressional Science and Technology Policy Fellow, U.S. Senate - Sen. Dick Durbin, 1999 – 2001; Senior Regulatory Scientist, US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, 2002 – present.
  • Ralph Bernstein (1992): Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1996; Biologist, US Food and Drug Administration, 1997 - present.
  • Todd Armstrong (1988): M.S. Rensselaer Polytechnic University, 1990; Ph.D. University of Maryland - Baltimore Campus, 1997; Research Associate, Johns Hopkins University, 2000 - present.
Members of 2016-17 Research Group at ASM-Microbe 2017
L-R: Pamela Lawrence '17, Sania Safdar '19, Celia DeJohn '18, Emra Klempic '18, and Doc
Pamela Lawrence '17 and Stephanie Seifert '13 at one of our posters at ASM 2015 in New Orleans.
Eva Szymanska Mroczek '08, Scott Britton '07 and Amanda Butler '09 at ASM 2008
Tarah Scanlon '03 and Julia van Kessel '03 (front row from left) and Doc (left, back row) meet Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Council on Undergraduate Research "Posters on the Hill" program in Washington, DC, March 2003.