Dr. Dave Westenberg is Curators Distinguished Teaching  Professor in the department of Biological Sciences at Missouri University of Science and Technology. His laboratory primarily focuses on the role of rhizosphere microorganisms on plant nutrition and bioremediation and the antimicrobial properties of biomaterials. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and Public Health from Michigan State University and his PhD in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from the University of California, Los Angeles. He spent two years at the Institute for Microbiology in Göttingen as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Gerhardt Gottschalk and a six-month sabbatical in the Department of Cell Biology and Applied Botany in Marburg in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Mueller. He is active in microbiology education and is an alumnus of the ASM Scholars-in-Residence Program (Biology Scholars). He chaired the ASM Committee on K-12 Education and Outreach for seven years and was co-director of the Missouri S&T Science Education and Quantitative Literacy (SEQL) program for elementary and middle school science and math education. In addition to his research and teaching, he is co-advisor of the Missouri S&T IGEM, synthetic biology student organization, co-advisor for the Helix biological sciences student organization (and a student chapter of the American Society for Microbiology), and advisor of the Humans vs. Zombies student organization.

Dr. Westenberg joined the S&T faculty in 1997, was named associate professor in 2003, professor in 2020, and Curators Distinguished Professor in 2022. He was Interim Department Chair in 2016-2017. In 2013 he was appointed the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative for Missouri S&T Athletics.

In 2021 Dr. Westenberg received the inaugural College of Arts, Sciences, and Business Dean's Medal and in 2020 received the UM System President's Award for Community Engagement. He also received the 2020 American Society for Microbiology Carski Award for teaching microbiology and promoting student success. In 2017 he was recognized with the Academy of Science, St. Louis Science Educator Award. Snice 2016 he has served as a higher education teaching ambassador for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute BioInteractive program. He is a research ambassador for the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) and a Humboldtian on Campus for the American Friends of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

CBR Research Investigator

CSTS Research Investigator

CREE Research Investigator