Dr. Melanie Mormile, special assistant to the provost for faculty affairs and professor of biological sciences, was named an American Society for Microbiology Distinguished Lecturer (ASMDL) for a two-year term. The ASMDL program annually selects a scientifically diverse group of lecturers to deliver lectures at ASM branch meetings throughout the country. Lecturers are chosen through a competitive nomination process, and only the most distinguished lecturers and researchers are chosen to participate.

An important component of the ASMDL program is its emphasis on providing opportunities for students to interact with prominent lecturers who represent a wide range of scientific interest areas. At branch meetings, ASM lecturers interact directly with students in a variety of ways, including participating in informal discussions and round tables, and attending or judging posters and oral presentations.