Education
- B.A, Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, 1983
- M.S., Ball State University, 1986
- Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1992
- Postdoc, University of Illinois-UC, 1992-1996
Teaching Areas
Microbiology, Medical Microbiology, Biotechnology
Research Fields
Microbial ecology and environmental microbiology
Current Research Projects
Our lab applies microbiological and molecular techniques to the study of the ecology of pathogenic microorganisms in the environment, especially aquatic environments. We want to understand the sources and fates of pathogens in the environment. We have examined fecal indicator bacteria and antibiotic resistant bacteria at beaches, the ecology of E. coli in the extra-host environment, and avian influenza virus at migratory stopover sites. Current projects include gull and cattle contributions of Campylobacter, E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella to aquatic systems, the response of beach microbial communities to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and Clostridium botulinum in wetlands.
Selected Publications
- Alm, EW, DM Gordon, and ST Walk. 2010. The ecological niche of E. coli. In: Bacterial Population Genetics: A Tribute to Thomas S. Whittam. ASM Press. In Press.
- Walk, ST, EW Alm, DM Gordon, JL Ram, GA Toranzos, JM Tiedje, and TS Whittam. 2009. Cryptic lineages of the genus Escherichia. Applied and Environmental Microbiology.75(20): 6534-6544.
- Walk, ST, EW Alm, LM Calhoun, JM Mladonicky, and TS Whittam. 2007. Genetic diversity and population structure of Escherichia coli isolated from freshwater beaches. Environmental Microbiology 9(9): 2274-2288.
- Alm, EW, J Burke, and E Hagan. 2006. Persistence and potential replication of the fecal indicator bacterium, Escherichia coli, in sand at Lake Huron. Journal of Great Lakes Research 32 (2): 401-405.
- VanOmmeren, L and EW Alm. 2006. Development and application of rapid antibiotic resistance analysis for microbial source tracking in the Black River watershed, Michigan. Lake and Reservoir Management. 22(3): 240-244.
- Alm, EW, J Burke, and A Spain. 2003. Fecal indicator bacteria are abundant in wet sand at freshwater beaches. Water Research. 37(16): 3978-3982.