Assistant Professor/Director of the Vereen Research Institute (VRI)

Dr. Ethell Vereen, Jr. (he, him, his) is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Morehouse College with a STEM Education focus on diversity and inclusion in natural resources; and a research focus on environmental health, water quality, and environmental microbiology. Dr. Vereen was recently awarded a $300,000 Research Initiation Award from the National Science Foundation for his current project, “Metagenomic Approach to Assess Water Quality and Microbial Load Variability of an Urban Watershed,” that has increased the research capacity at Morehouse College and provides additional training opportunities for the College’s STEM students. He currently serves on several boards and foundations including the board for the Environmental Leadership Program, NSF NEON Technical Working Group, and his exemplary contributions in the areas of undergraduate education, student learning and campus life have also been noted as he was awarded the 2019 Vulcan Teaching Excellence Award, and recently recognized as one of 1000 Inspiring Black Scientists in America. Dr. Vereen also is engaged in transformative experiential scientific discovery in Virtual Reality (VR) for curriculum development and innovation in teaching. He was one of the lead instructors in the first cohort of teachers at Morehouse College to integrate VR into his courses. By utilizing this technology, he has created activities and experiences that are transforming the way students learn, and the way he teaches.