Rate My Professor Akif Uzman

Akif Uzman serves as Dean of the College of Sciences and Technology and Professor of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD). He holds a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master’s degree in Environmental Health Science, and a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology, both from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Prior to joining UHD in 1997 as an Assistant Professor of Biology and Biochemistry, Uzman held positions as a staff scientist in the Division of Cell and Molecular Biology at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, research associate and lecturer at The University of Texas at Austin, and visiting assistant professor at the University of Houston and University of California, Berkeley. At UHD, he advanced to Chair of the Department of Natural Sciences in 2003, served as Interim Dean of CST from 2011, and was appointed permanent Dean in 2014.

Uzman’s research interests encompass molecular and developmental biology, particularly Xenopus embryogenesis, neural specification via mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, and BMP signal antagonism. He has also investigated microbial genomics, including virulence factors in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and the genome of the cyanobacterium Tolypothrix sp. PCC 7601. Notable publications include “Mitogen-activated protein kinase and neural specification in Xenopus” (1997), “Subtle genetic changes enhance virulence of methicillin resistant and sensitive Staphylococcus aureus” (2007), “Extreme Sensory Complexity Encoded in the 10-Megabase Draft Genome Sequence of the Chromatically Acclimating Cyanobacterium Tolypothrix sp. PCC 7601” (2015), “The PULSE Vision & Change Rubrics, Version 1.0: A Valid and Equitable Tool to Measure Transformation of Life Sciences Departments at All Institution Types” (2016), “A qualitative analysis to identify the elements that support department level change in the life sciences: The PULSE Vision & Change Recognition Program” (2019), and “The PULSE Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Rubric: a Tool To Help Assess Departmental DEI Efforts” (2022). A pioneer in STEM education reform, Uzman was a 2012 Vision and Change Leadership Fellow with the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Science Education (PULSE), served on its governing council, and was elected its third president in 2024. Under his leadership, PULSE has supported over 330 STEM departments nationwide in implementing educational best practices.