About
Areas of Specialization: Genetics, Metabolic Pathway Analysis, Microbial Community Interactions
Dr. Ashley Beck is an Assistant Professor at Carroll College. She holds two B.A. degrees in Biology and Mathematics and completed a Ph.D. in 2018 at Montana State University. Dr. Beck spent two years on faculty in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at North Carolina State University before returning to Montana in a more teaching-centered role in the Biology Department.
Dr. Beck specializes in the area of genetics, particularly with application to metabolic pathways. With 10+ years of research experience, Dr. Beck brings this enthusiasm for scientific inquiry into the classroom, guiding students in developing their own projects in lab experience courses as well as independent summer research. She also encourages students to appreciate the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge in her classes.
Her research and scholarly interests focus on the genomic potential of environmental microbial communities using Nanopore sequencing and metabolic modeling, with externally funded grant projects ranging from the maize root-associated microbiome (USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture) to the effect of urbanization on wildlife health (NSF Research at Undergraduate Institutions) to snow algal communities (NSF CAREER). Undergraduate research students have the opportunity to participate in high-impact projects and are supervised in disseminating their findings in senior theses, peer-reviewed journal publications, and regional and national conferences.
Courses Taught:
BI-131 Lab Explorations in Cellular and Molecular Biology, BI-281/L Genetics, BI-370 Evolutionary Analysis, BI-370L Lab Experience in Genomics, BI-382 Cell Biology, BI-496 Senior Seminar