Position is an Important Addition to her Service at UH
Anne Delcour, a professor in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry, stepped into
her new role as Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the College of Natural Sciences
and Mathematics in July. While planning to stay active in research and teaching, she
sees this position as an important addition to her service as a professor.
鈥淭here are always three components to being a professor 鈥� research, teaching and service,鈥� Delcour said. 鈥淎s you go through the ranks, your service component gets bigger and bigger.鈥�
Delcour, a co-recipient of NSM鈥檚 2011 John C. Butler Excellence in Teaching Award, is passionate about teaching and providing quality education. Having served as the Associate Chair for Graduate Affairs in her home department, she is familiar with many of the issues related to graduate training. However, she anticipates new challenges as she learns about the graduate programs across NSM鈥檚 departments.
鈥淎s Associate Dean, my priorities are similar to what I was doing at the department level, but now I鈥檓 focusing on six departments,鈥� Delcour said. 鈥淢y job is to ensure that we are the best we can be in our graduate programs 鈥� from the quality of students who apply, to making sure we provide our students with the proper resources to perform well, to ensuring that we have high-quality graduate programs.鈥�
Delcour received a B.S. in zoological sciences from the University of Li猫ge in her native Belgium and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Cornell University. Prior to joining UH in 1992, she completed postdoctoral fellowships at University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Stanford University.
Her research focuses on the mechanisms used to transport molecules through cell membranes, with a particular interest in ion channels. These channels, made of protein, are a common transport system in many cells. Delcour鈥檚 lab is looking at ion channels in bacteria with an emphasis on E. coli and V. cholerae. Inside the bacterial cells, the ion channels play an essential role in the flow of nutrients, ions, signaling molecules and antibiotics. Learning more about how the ion channels function holds possibilities with respect to medical applications and antibiotic resistance.
Though it may seem like her plate is full with her new role as Associate Dean, an active research lab and plans for teaching a Fall course in microbial physiology, Delcour finds the time to be a student as well. She鈥檚 studying Italian. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not too different from my native language of French, but it is different enough to be challenging and fun,鈥� she said.
- Kathy Major, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics