Kristina Hillesland, Associate Professor & Division Chair

Biography

In 2005, Dr. Hillesland earned her PhD in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Michigan State University, where she studied microbial evolution. She then expanded her skills as a postdoctoral scholar in environmental microbiology in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at UW Seattle before beginning her faculty position at UW Bothell in 2011, where she enjoys conveying complex subjects to undergraduate students and mentoring undergraduate research. Her research was recognized nationally through her receipt of the prestigious NSF CAREER award and she was also honored by being selected as one of seven recipients of the 2016 University of Washington Research Mentor Award. Dr. Hillesland’s research is in the area of evolutionary biology and microbiology, she has published 15 peer-reviewed papers, a book chapter, and a magazine article.

Research