Published Sept. 17, 2021
The ULM Foundation is hosting a reception to announce the
University of Louisiana System Foundation & Willis-Knighton Health Systems
Endowed Professorships to Chris Gissendanner, Ph.D., and Sharon Meyer, Ph.D.,
Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021, 3 p.m. Laird Weems Center 4400 Bon Aire Drive
Two professors at the University of Louisiana Monroe whose innovative research could
lead to significant advancements in disease treatment and overall health were selected
to receive $100,000 endowed professorships.
Christopher Gissendanner, Ph.D., was named University of Louisiana System Foundation
and Willis-Knighton Health System Professor of Biology. Sharon Meyer, Ph.D., is the
University of Louisiana System Foundation and Willis-Knighton Health System Professor
of Toxicology.
Willis-Knighton Health System invested $120,000, and the UL System Foundation contributed
$80,000 in matching funds for the professorships. Both organizations required the
recipients to work in STEM programs.
The ULM Foundation will host a reception at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30, at Laird
Weems Center to honor Gissendanner and Meyer and recognize the significant financial
contributions of the UL System Foundation and Willis-Knighton Health System.
James K. Elrod, President and CEO of Willis-Knighton Health System, shared “The two
disciplines we choose to fund at this time are Biology and Toxicology at $60,000 each
for a total contribution of $120,000. These funds are provided as part of our “tithe
the bottom line” philosophy of philanthropy which invests in worthwhile projects,
activities and educational opportunities to enhance our community and our region.
We value our relationship with ULM and the quality graduates who are now employed
at Willis-Knighton. We are pleased to sustain our ongoing relationship with this
additional contribution in the health sciences curriculum.”
“Congratulations to Drs. Gissendanner and Meyers. STEM professions are vital to the
future of our state’s economy and ULM’s faculty will play a critical role in ensuring
our graduates are prepared for the future of work,” Dr. Jim Henderson, President and
CEO of the University of Louisiana System, said. “These professorships were made possible
by an anonymous gift to the UL System Foundation, an investment that provides tremendous
support to the work of our nine-member institutions.”
The ULM Foundation manages the investment and reporting of endowed professorships.
“We are truly grateful to Willis-Knighton Health System for these two endowed professorships
added to the five previously funded by them, and the UL System Foundation for the
matching funds. Through these Endowed Professorships, Chris and Sharon are poised
to uniquely contribute to the missions of their departments and ULM students,” said
Susan Chappell, Executive Director of Advancement, Foundation and Alumni Relations.
Christopher Gissendanner, Ph.D.
Gissendanner is Associate Director of the ULM School of Sciences and Professor of
Biology in the College of Arts, Education, and Sciences. Gissendanner holds a Doctorate
in Cellular Biology from the University of Georgia. Following a post-doctorate fellowship
with New England Biolabs, he joined ULM in 2004.
Gissendanner's research focuses on using bacterial viruses (bacteriophage) as an
alternative therapy for treating infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
"Receiving this professorship is an honor, and it will have a significant impact on
the progress of my research. It will also have an important role in helping support
the undergraduate and graduate students that work in my lab," said Gissendanner.
"The focus of my research is on the development of bacteriophage therapy. Bacteriophages
are viruses that can infect and kill bacteria. The idea of phage therapy as a means
of curing bacterial infections has been around for a long time, but it has recently
emerged as a successful and promising avenue for new treatments of antibiotic-resistant
bacteria," Gissendanner said. "The focus of my work is on developing phage therapy
for opportunistic pathogens commonly found in the environment."
Sharon Meyer, Ph.D.
Meyer, a Professor in the School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences
in the College of Pharmacy, joined ULM in 2000. She earned her Doctorate in Physiology
from Cornell University and completed post-doctoral work at Harvard Medical Center
and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Meyer's two research areas are health treatments derived from the echinacea plant,
and ensuring north Louisiana's drinking water is free from contamination from chemicals
leftover from munitions storage.
"I am honored to be the recipient of the UL System Foundation-Willis-Knighten Endowed
Professorship in Toxicology. This is especially meaningful since the work I have done
at ULM has been facilitated by ULS," Meyer said.
"My results should have significant implications for protecting Louisiana residents
from drinking water contamination by munitions, such as those used at the former Louisiana
Army Ammunition Plant at Minden," Meyer explained.
Meyer's research and testing of contaminants found at the former Superfund site were
instrumental in the clean-up bringing the site in Webster Parish into EPA compliance.
The endowed professorship will support Meyer's research into echinacea as a dietary
supplement to boost the production of white blood cells when bone marrow has been
compromised, such as during chemotherapy. Meyer proposes continued refinement of the
active ingredients in echinacea "will direct efficient processing of the plants to
produce a treatment countering bone marrow myelosuppression."
