Dr. Christopher Garner

Assistant Professor

Biology, Division of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Dr. Christopher T. Garner is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Southern Nazarene University. He is a microbial ecologist and systematist whose research explores microbial diversity, physiology, and interactions in environmental systems. His current projects broadly focus on microorganisms involved in one-carbon cycling, the ecological interactions that influence microbial stress tolerance and metabolism, and the use of comparative genomics and bioinformatics to understand bacterial diversity, evolution, and taxonomy. He also mentors undergraduate researchers in microbial cultivation, environmental microbiology, genomics, and microbial community analysis.

 

Dr. Garner earned his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied microbial ecology and physiology under Dr. Lee Krumholz. At SNU, he teaches courses in microbiology, biology, microbial ecology, and bioinformatics, with an emphasis on helping students connect biological concepts with the process and practice of scientific inquiry. Beyond his teaching and research, Dr. Garner is Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Living Record, an independent publication devoted to thoughtful and accessible writing about biology and the ideas that shape how we understand the living world.

 

Fun Fact and Hobbies: Outside of the classroom, Dr. Garner enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters and cheering on his Oklahoma Sooners, the OKC Thunder, and Manchester United.