Dr. Marcia Harrison-Pitaniello earned a B.S. in Botany from the University of Vermont in 1977, an M.S. in Biology from the University of Michigan in 1978, and a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Michigan in 1983. She joined the Marshall faculty in 1986 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. Her research includes plant hormone physiology with a particular interest in enhancing undergraduate research. In her career at Marshall, she mentored over 35 student researchers in plant biology and in mathematical biology projects. As Professor Emerita, she is currently engaged in educational outreach as a continuation of a grant from the American Society of Plant Biologists. This project resulted in interactive exhibits and games to educate and stimulate public interest of plant biology.
At Marshall, Dr. Harrison-Pitaniello oversaw Marshall’s Chapter of the WV NASA Space Grant Consortium, awarding student scholarships, travel grants, and faculty research enhancement grants. She was also the Public Relations Officer for the MU Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, and Communications Director for the West Virginia Academy of Science. In 2012, she became a BEN (BioSciEduNet) Scholar, sponsored by the National Science Digital Library. BEN Scholars are given support to promote the use of digital libraries and inquiry-based learning in biology lecture and laboratory courses. As a BEN Scholar, Dr. Harrison-Pitaniello published an education article about imaging plant growth along with developing educational videos. In addition, she was the Principal Investigator of the NSF-funded MU-ADVANCE Program (2006-2012), an innovative networking effort between female STEM faculty working with administrative partners to develop university-level best practices for recruitment, new faculty orientation, and faculty retention. She was the director of the WV State Science and Engineering Fair from 2000-2007. Her honors include the Marshall Women of Color Award, MU Distinguished Service Award, and Dr. Carolyn Hunter Distinguished Faculty Service Award.