Rate My Professor Melody Danley

Melody Danley is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biology at the University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences. She earned her Doctorate in 2008 and Master’s degree through her thesis in 2001, both from West Virginia University. Prior to her current appointment, Danley served as a lecturer in Biology at California State University Stanislaus. In her role at the University of Kentucky, she teaches BIO 152 Principles of Biology II, which encompasses plant and animal physiology, and coordinates the laboratories for BIO 350 Animal Physiology. Additionally, she is affiliated with the Lewis Honors College as Honors Faculty and participates in departmental committees within the Biology department. Danley contributes to initiatives like the BioTAP Scholars Program, enhancing teaching and learning in biology education.

Danley’s research interests include science education, specifically student success in the classroom, variables affecting student learning, and the effects of different styles of communicating student performance on confidence, dissent, and performance. She also examines behavior, physiology, and environmental cues related to crayfish burrowing. Her scholarly publications focus on fish physiology and stress responses. Key works include her doctoral dissertation, "Effects of the anesthetic AQUI-S TM on three species of wild caught fishes from the San Joaquin Delta, California" (2008, West Virginia University); "Effects of carbon dioxide exposure on intensively cultured rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss: physiological responses, growth, and fillet attributes" (2005, Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, co-authored with Kenney PB, Mazik PM, Kiser R, Hankins J); "Transport and stunning affect quality of Arctic char fillets" (2005, Journal of Muscle Foods, co-authored with Jittinandana S, Kenney PB, Mazik PM, Nelson C, Kiser R, Hankins J); "Swimming performance and physiological stress responses of splittail exposed to a fish screen" (2002, North American Journal of Fisheries Management, co-authored with Mayr SD, Young PS, Cech JJ Jr.); her Master’s thesis, "Growth and physiological responses of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss to elevated carbon dioxide: chronic and acute challenges" (2001, West Virginia University); and "Epizootics in farm-raised channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), caused by the enteric redmouth bacterium, Yersinia ruckeri" (1999, Journal of Fish Diseases, co-authored with Goodwin AE, Killian HS).