Holden, Dr. Whitney

Dr. Whitney Holden has been teaching biology and biology research full time at ASMSA since the fall of 2014. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry from the University of Arkansas and her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Vanderbilt University, where she was also a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.

At ASMSA, Dr. Holden teaches biology classes and mentors students in life science research. She received the inaugural Innovative Teacher Award from the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools in 2020. As a research teacher, she has mentored over 100 students in independent research projects, including some who have advanced to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair. In addition to her teaching duties, Dr. Holden serves as co-director of Advanced Biology Plus, in which she provides curriculum and training to 50+ teachers across Arkansas. As co-director of the Arkansas Summer Research Institute, she has also built a training program for high school students, undergraduates, and graduate students that focuses on essential skills in inquiry, research, data science, and networking.

Her dissertation research focused on immune defenses like antimicrobial peptides and symbiotic skin bacteria against the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Her research has been published in multiple academic journals including Science, Developmental and Comparative Immunology, Biological Conservation, and Applied and Environmental Microbiology.  While completing her dissertation research, Dr. Holden also earned a Certificate in College Teaching from the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. More recently, she has published work relating to the impacts of the Arkansas Summer Research Institute as an outreach program.

Dr. Holden is also an adjunct professor of chemistry at National Park College in Hot Springs and runs a YouTube channel, Biology Professor, with over 7 million views and over 80,000 subscribers.