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Biography
Dr. Coker is the Director of the Center for Biotechnology Education at The Johns Hopkins University. As a scientist and educator, he has worked to advance the understanding of research and improve higher education.
As a Scientist, he studies life in Earth’s extreme environments and harnesses the unique adaptations of the microorganisms living there for use in biotechnology applications. Using biochemical and genetic/genomics approaches, he has discovered several new enzymes and a novel genome-wide system of gene regulation. His research also has helped catalog the limits of life and thereby where it is possible for it to exist in the Universe.
As a Professor and Academic Administrator, he has worked to improve STEM education by working with the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning as well as UTeach to train the university faculty and secondary education teachers of tomorrow. He has also long been an advocate of increasing access to education for adult and military students as well as career changers and underserved populations.
In addition to his roles as a Scientist and Academic, he has played an active role in shared governance at the University and State-level and served in the Executive Committee as Secretary, Vice Chair, and Chair. In these roles, he has worked to improve communication between faculty and higher administration, establish metrics for faculty evaluation and rewards for outstanding performance, and update University policies.
He earned two undergraduate-level degrees - B.S. Zoology and B.S. Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, as well as a Minor in Philosophy, from Oklahoma State University. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Microbiology from The Pennsylvania State University. He currently resides in Washington D.C. and is an ardent supporter of Chelsea F.C.
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