Education:
B.S. (Botany), University of Vermont, 1977
M.S. (Biology), University of Michigan, 1978
Ph.D. (Botany), University of Michigan, 1983

Employment at Marshall University:
Professor, 1998-present
Interim Division Head, Biological Sciences, 1998-2000
Associate Professor, 1992-1998
Botany Division Coordinator, 1990-1991
Assistant Professor, 1986-1992

Current and Recent Offices Held in Scientific Organizations:
Newsletter Editor and Webmaster, West Virginia Academy of Science, 1997 to present
Public Relations Officer, Marshall University Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, 2010 to present
President, Marshall Chapter of Sigma Xi, 2007 to present Chair, Marshall Chapter of the WV NASA Space Grant Consortium, 2001 to present
Co-Editor, Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science, 2007
Host, Annual Meeting of the West Virginia Academy of Science, 2007
Director, West Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair, 2000 to 2007
President, West Virginia Jr. Academy of Science, 1999 to 2007

Funded Research Projects (last 5 years):

NSF: UBM-Group: RUI: Undergraduate Mathematical Biology Research at Marshall University (2010-2013) $236,659 (PI: M. Harrison; CoPIs: S. Collier, J. Kovatch, A Mummert, S. Sarra)

NSF: MRI-R2: Acquisition of a Confocal/Multiphoton Microscope to Advance Cellular and Physiological Research at Marshall University (2009-2012) $930,058 (PI: Michael Norton; Co-PIs: Marcia Harrison, Simon Collier, Brian Antonsen)

NSF: ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award: ADVANCE Transformation Award: Advancing Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math at Marshall University (2009-2011) $ 750,000 (PI: M. Harrison; Co-PIs: B. Delidow, E. Murray, J. Silver, P. Logan)

NSF: ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award -Advancing Women in Science, Math and Engineering at Marshall (2006-2009) $1,200,000 (PI: M. Harrison, Co-PI: B. Delidow, E. Murray, J. Silver, K. Miezio)

WV-EPSCoR Seed Grant: Cross-Disciplinary Research Initiative in Biological Mathematics (2006) $5,000 (PI: S. Collier, co-PI’s M. Harrison, P. Saveliev, S. Sarra)

MUF: College of Science Multidisciplinary Research Initiative: A College-Wide Faculty Development Proposal to Foster Collaboration (2006-2008) $50,000 (Primary author: M. Harrison)

USDA: CREES: NRI- Equipment Grant: Kinetic Analysis of Plant Ethylene Production Using Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (2005-2006) (PIs: M. Harrison and J. Miskovska), $21,000.

Published Articles:

Harrison, M.A. Cross-talk between phytohormone signaling pathways under optimal and stressful conditions. In: Phytohormones and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants, Professor Dr. Nafees A. Khan (ed.), Springer-Verlag GmbH Berlin Heidelberg (submitted June 29, 2011)

Gilkerson*, J.G., J.A. Kelley**, and M.A. Harrison. 2009. Evaluation of ethylene production in tobacco and Arabidopsis induced by particle bombardment. Bio-Rad Bulletin 5847

Harrison, M.A., E. Murray, and J. Hogan. 2006. Evaluation of ethylene as an indicator of plant stress in hydroponic systems. Scientia Horticulturae 110: 311–318

Harrison, M.A. 2006. Role of ethylene in the regulation of stem gravitropic curvature. In: Ethylene Action in Plants, Professor Dr. Nafees A. Khan (ed.), Springer-Verlag GmbH Berlin Heidelberg (invited article)

Harrison, M.A. 2006. Plant Cell Signaling. In: Plant Cell Biology, W.V. Dashek and M.H. Harrison (eds), Science Publishers, Enfield, NH

Steed C.L., L.K. Taylor, and M.A. Harrison. 2004. Red-light regulation of ethylene biosynthesis and gravitropism in etiolated pea stems. Plant Growth Regulation 43: 117-125

Bassett, C.L., M.L. Nickerson,  R.E. Farrell, and M.A. Harrison. 2004. Multiple Transcripts of a leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase from morning glory originate from different TATA boxes in a tissue-specific manner. Mol. Gen. Genomics 271: 752-760

Gonzales, D., J. Traylor, A. Hubbard, B. Lowman, and M.A. Harrison. 1999. Growth and gravitropic curvature in ethylene mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Proc. WV Acad. Sci. 71: 33-42

Reuschel, W., J. Fikes, and M.A. Harrison. 1998. Effects of cytosolic calcium regulators on ethylene biosynthesis in etiolated pea stems. Proc. WV Acad. Sci. 70: 29-39

Jones, R.L. and M.A. Harrison. 1996. Autoinhibition of ethylene biosynthesis in seedlings grown in closed containers. Proc. WV Acad. Sci. 68: 24-36

Harrison, M.A.1997. Analysis of ethylene biosynthesis in plant tissue by GC-FID, in Plant Biochemistry/Molecular Biology Laboratory Manual, W.V. Dashek (ed.). CRC Press, NY

Steed, C.L. and M.A. Harrison. 1993. Effect of short-term heat-stress on the regulation of ethylene production in etiolated pea stems. Physiol. Plant. 87: 103-107

Harrison, M.A. 1991. Evidence of a heat-stress signal in etiolated pea epicotyls. Plant Science 75: 19-24

Elmore, H.W., B. Samples, S. Sharma, and M. Harrison. 1990. Influence of cultural and physio-chemical factors on ascorbate stability in plant tissue culture media. Plant Cell Tissue Organ Culture 20: 131-135

Harrison, M.A. and B.G. Pickard. 1989. Auxin asymmetry during gravitropism by tomato hypocotyls. Plant Physiol. 89: 652-657

Harrison, M.A. 1986. Apical Dominance in The Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, McGraw Hill, New York

Harrison, M.A. and B.G. Pickard. 1985. Red light shifts the locus and rate of gravitropic curvature in etiolated pea epicotyls. The Physiologist 28 suppl: 103-104

Harrison, M.A. and B.G. Pickard. 1985. Evaluation of ethylene as a mediator of gravitropism by tomato hypocotyls. Plant Physiol. 80: 592-595

Harrison, M.A. and P.B. Kaufman. 1984. The role of hormone transport and metabolism in apical dominance in oats. Bot. Gaz. 145: 293-297

Harrison, M.A. and B.G. Pickard. 1984. Burst of ethylene upon horizontal placement of tomato seedlings. Plant Physiol. 75: 1167-1169

Harrison, M.A. and P.B. Kaufman. 1983. Estimates of free and bound indole-3-acetic acid and zeatin levels in relation to regulation of apical dominance and tiller release in oat shoots. J. Plant Growth Regul. 2: 215-223

Thomas, R.J., M.A. Harrison, J. Taylor, and P.B. Kaufman. 1983. Endogenous auxin and ethylene in Pellia (Bryophyta). Plant Physiol. 73: 395-397

Harrison, M.A. and P.B. Kaufman. 1982. Does ethylene play a role in the release of lateral buds (tillers) from apical dominance in oats? Plant Physiol. 70: 811-814

Harrison, M.A. and P.B. Kaufman. 1980. Hormonal regulation of lateral bud (tiller) release in oats (Avena sativa L.). Plant Physiol. 66: 1123-1127

Harrison, M.A. and R.M. Klein. 1979. Role of growth regulators in initiation of secondary xylem and phloem cells. Bot.Gaz.140: 20-24

Significant Research Presentations by Marshall Students (last 5 years):

Harrison, M.A. 2010. Using MATLAB to process images for the analysis of plant organ growth and curvature. Plant Biology 2010, Montreal, Canada

Harrison, M.A., P. Saveliev, S. Sarra, and D. Silver*. 2008. Using MATLAB to process images for the analysis of plant organ growth and curvature. The 19th International Conference on Arabidopsis Research, Montreal, Canada

Brown*, M.L. and M.A. Harrison. 2007. Ethylene regulation of gravitropic curvature in Arabidopsis stems. Plant Biology & Botany 2007: P32009. Joint Congress of the American Society of Plant Biologists and the Botanical Society of America, Chicago IL

Harrison, M.A., P. Saveliev, S. Sarra, and D. Silver*. 2008. Using MATLAB to process images for the analysis of plant organ growth and curvature. The 19th International Conference on Arabidopsis Research, Montreal, Canada

Brown*, M.L. and M.A. Harrison. 2007. Ethylene regulation of gravitropic curvature in Arabidopsis stems. Proc. WV Acad. Sci. 79: 24. Marshall University Sigma Xi Research Day; the West Virginia Academy of Sciences, Marshall University, WV

Harrison M.A. and M.L. Brown*. 2006. Ethylene regulation of gravitropic curvature in Arabidopsis stems. Gravitational and Space Biol. Bull. 20: 27. The American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology, Alexandria, VA

Bruyer*, J., K. Miller*, S. Ogle*, J. Phares*, S. Smith*, and M.A. Harrison. 2006. Imaging plant growth. Marshall University Sigma Xi Research Day

Brown*, M. and M.A. Harrison. 2006. Ethylene regulation of the plant response to gravity. Proc. WV Acad. Sci. 78: 29. Marshall University Sigma Xi Research Day; the West Virginia Academy of Sciences, Shepherd, WV

Harrison, M.A., M. Brown*, and M. Rivera*. 2005. Ethylene regulation of the plant response to gravity. Proc. WV Acad. Sci. 77: 23. Marshall University Sigma Xi Research Day; the West Virginia Academy of Science, Morgantown WV; the Gordon Conference, Biddeford, ME

Brown, M. and M.A. Harrison. 2006. Ethylene regulation of the plant response to gravity. Poster presented at the 2006 Sigma Xi Research Day, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, and the West Virginia Academy of Sciences, Shepherd, WV