WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., May 5, 2016 — West Liberty University students surprised Dr. Joseph Horzempa recently by selecting him as Professor of the Year.

“I discovered that I received this honor just moments after the ceremony and was totally shocked. I am grateful for the students’ confidence in me and am humbled by this award,” he said. The awards ceremony took place during the annual Spring Honors Convocation, held on April 28 in Kelly Theatre.

Dr. Joseph Horzempa

Horzempa is an assistant professor of biology in the College of Sciences and joined the faculty in 2011. He maintains an active lab that offers students ongoing research experiences, which most recently resulted in publication in the January 2016 issue of Frontiers in Microbiology 

Since 2011, Dr. Horzempa has received over 1.7 million dollars in grants to fuel the activities of his lab.

He is currently developing new antibiotics, vaccines, and is researching the biology of Francisella tularensis. Horzempa has been delving into the intricacies of this bacterium since he was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine from 2006 – 2011.

Horzempa earned both a bachelor and Master of Science degree from California University of Pennsylvania in 2000 and 2002 respectively. He received his doctoral degree from Duquesne University in 2006.

Horzempa completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2011.

A native of Monaca Pa., Horzempa lives with his wife Crystal and two children, Gwen, 9, and Jack, 6, in Scott Township, Pa.

The Professor of the Year Award is coordinated by the Student Government Association, which collects student nominations and votes, prior to announcing the award.

The biology department is housed in the College of Sciences and offers several opportunities for research in a variety of labs. For more information, please call 1.866.WESTLIB.

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