Biology Professor Maureen Morrow uncovers open access digital platform to publish impactful undergraduate collaborative research

SUNY New Paltz Professor Maureen Morrow not only mentors Department of Biology students as they make new discoveries in the field, but regularly seeks out new, innovative forums for these discoveries to be showcased.

Recently, she has employed a mechanism for all in her field of expertise, from faculty to students to professional scientists, to access her collaborative studies with New Paltz alumni using a joint endeavor between the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and KBase, an online bioinformatics platform maintained by the U.S. Department of Energy. Morrow also serves on the KBase Educators’ Microbiomes In Computational Research Opportunities Network (MICROnet) steering committee, which is working to provide educators with ready-to-use and budget-friendly resources to teach microbiome analysis (the collection of microbes in an environment).  

“It’s a great experience for students to have their work published in a way that could inform other studies,” she said. “KBase offers a resource that enable students to perform bioinformatics research in courses and as independent research projects; the kind of experience that we would like for New Paltz students.” 

The easy-to-use resource lets anyone in the biological systems field to plug in the data they collected and share with peers who can cite or build on this data, making for a more holistic experience in shaping scientific research and curriculum.  

Digital resources like KBase, an open-software platform, and open-access ASM journals, are academic spaces that make valuable learning materials and research accessible. By eliminating financial barriers to read through such materials, these resources help enhance research in all disciplines with up-to-date, multifaceted scholarship at just one click. 

“Open access means anyone can use it,” she said. “It diversifies the research questions and publications that get put out there, enhances curriculum and empowers future generations of researchers.” 

Involvement with KBase cements legacy of empowering undergraduate research 

From the start of her storied career at SUNY New Paltz, Morrow has been a champion for undergraduate student research. 

To build on the summer projects she mentored through New Paltz’s AC²  (AMP & CSTEP Community) Program, Morrow founded the Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity (RSCA) Program to expand student innovation year-round and across all disciplines. 

“As an undergraduate, I saw how valuable student research was and how critical it is to students’ professional development, and I wanted to enable that experience for all students here,” she said. 

Morrow was also instrumental in starting the SUNY New Paltz Student Research Symposium, an annual event that recently celebrated its 30th anniversary of showcasing enlightening undergraduate research projects.  

As student research grows on campus, Morrow hopes more opportunities arise to have their work published in open access databases.  

“It is my hope that student scholars will be more recognized nationwide for the impact they have in influencing their fields,” she said.  

Click here to learn more about undergraduate research at SUNY New Paltz.