Catherine Santai, Ph.D. Dean, School of Health & Science
Biography
Dr. Santai is a graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology where she earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry for her research into novel nucleic acid structures she created and termed mixed-stranded DNA. She investigated the ability of these unique DNA structures to condense into nano-sized particles and their suitableness for gene delivery using Atomic Force Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy techniques.
Dr. Santai has been a teacher at the undergraduate level for 20 years and a contributing instructor in the UPMC School of Nursing for the last 3 years. She loves teaching and working with students. She is passionate about increasing the numbers of women and minorities who study and work in science, and at Harrisburg University she gets those opportunities every day.
Teaching and Research Interests:
Dr. Santai’s encourages student participation in her courses and places high demands on her students. Dr. Santai challenges her students and provides support to help students appreciate and succeed in chemistry and biochemistry. Dr. Santai is proficient in the use of technology in the classroom. During her lectures, she uses traditional on the board problem solving, hands-on wet laboratory experiences, as well as modern instruments to teach students the skills they can take into the workforce and beyond.
In addition to teaching, Dr. Santai’s enjoys working with undergraduate students in the research laboratory. Her current research focuses on using metal chelation to enhance the color stability of natural blue pigments and investigating the effect of crystallinity on plastic biodegradation rate by Idonella bacteria species.
Education
Ph.D. in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
M.Sc. in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. USA.
B.A. in Chemistry, minor — Biology and Physics, College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
