Lawrence R. Aaronson, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Harold T. Clark, Jr. 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, Jr. Professor of Microbiology, Utica College, 2010
Student Researchers
Celia DeJohn '18 conducting experiments on the biochemistry of melanin synthesis in Pseudomonas uticensis.
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
Current Research Group, 2018-2019​
  • Karlie Brown '20: Mechanisms of induction of sliding motility in Bacillus cereus
  • Evan Vescio '21:  Antifungal analysis and identification of bacteria from various habitats; alginate production in P. uticensis
  • Alexis Wells '19: Analysis of pyochelin synthesis in P. uticensis
  • Belinda Nyantakyi '19: Role of melanins in stress responses in P. uticensis
  • Jennifer Liu '19: Construction of transposon mutant libraries in P. uticensis
  • Sarah Mirza '20: Glucoamylase activity in P. uticensis
  • Nicole Pickett '21: Phylogeny of P. uticensis
  • Connor Yingling '22: Antifungal properties of P. uticensis
Pamela Lawrence '17 and Stephanie Seifert '13 at one of our posters at ASM 2015 in New Orleans.
Danielle McHarris '15 discusses her educational and research experiences at Utica College.


Daniele Casper '15 receives a student travel award from The Medical Mycology Society of the Americas at asm2014 in Boston, MA.
Distinguished Lab Alumni

  • Celia DeJohn (2018): Graduate Student, University of Buffalo - Roswell Park Center for Cancer Research
  • Pamela Lawrence (2017): Analytical Chemist/Analytical Manager, MedMen, Utica NY
  • Mary Brockett (2016): Graduate student, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
  • Kate Zeigler (2013): Ph.D. candidate, 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
  • 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.
  • 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; Research and Development, Duvel Brewery, Belgium; Adjunct Lecturer, Utica College
  • 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; Assistant Professor of Biology, Indiana University, 2013-present.
  • Jennifer (Gerlach) Herzog (1997): M.S., M. Phil., Yale University, 2000.  Assistant 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.
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.  
Lab group at ASM 2012 San Francisco, CA: (from left to right) Lyndsay Avery '11, Scott Britton '07, Tori Bruns, Kate Zeigler '13, Stephanie Seifert '13, Kaitlyn Sadallah, Jeanette McCorry '12.