WEST LIBERTY, W.Va – Dr. Joseph Horzempa has been teaching at West Liberty since 2011 and is currently the Interim Dean of the College of Sciences, the biggest college on our campus.

Horzempa has a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Duquesne. Before coming to West Liberty University, he was working as a postdoctoral research scientist at Pitt Medical School. He decided to be a professor because he wanted his own research lab.

Horzempa teaches many classes related to science and biology, including microbiology, cell biology, research skills and molecular biology. He enjoys teaching skills that translate to the job market. “We have an outstanding program with good jobs available,” says Horzempa.

Horzempa says he enjoys working at West Liberty University because it has a variety of labs available. For example, West Liberty is the only small school in West Virginia to have a human cadaver lab.

He and his staff work with labs at other universities, such as WVU, Marshall and the University of Pittsburgh. He also has a working relationship with Meso Scale Diagnostics, and he has been collaborating with Johns Hopkins Medical School to research cancer risk factors.

He volunteered to take on the role of Interim Dean of the College of Sciences as the university works to find a permanent member for the role, which he says he was excited to do. As the Dean, he is in charge of making sure the college runs smoothly.

Horzempa is open to filling the role permanently should the university pick him. “If it works out to where I can help the students and faculty, I would be interested in pursuing it,” he said. He expects the position to be filled by the start of the fall semester.

Outside of the classroom, Horzempa enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, and his favorite activity is to fix things around the house.

If you’re interested in a major or class in the College of Sciences, you can reach out to Dr. Horzempa by emailing [email protected], or you can visit his office in room 302 of Campbell Hall.