Mark Hargrove has been named chair of the Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University.
Hargrove will begin a five-year term as chair effective July 1, 2022. He will take over department chair responsibilities from current professor and chair Kristen Johansen, who has led the department since 2016. Johansen will remain a faculty member in the department.
“Dr. Mark Hargrove has shown exceptional leadership, teaching and research efforts during his time in the Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology,” said Daniel J. Robison, holder of the endowed dean’s chair in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “I am confident he will find success in this new role as he leads the department in continuing to innovate and prepare students for success as the next generation of thinkers and doers. He was strongly supported in his interest to become chair of the department by his colleagues and the deans of both colleges.”
“Mark has broad leadership experience as associate chair of his department and chair of the LAS Curriculum Committee,” said Beate Schmittmann, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “We are excited about his vision to lead the Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology to new heights in research, teaching and outreach.”
Hargrove received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, and a doctoral degree in biochemistry and cell biology from Rice University in Houston, Texas. He joined the BBMB department in 1998, advancing from assistant professor to Morrill Professor, an honor bestowed upon him in 2020.
His research has focused on protein structure and function, with an emphasis on how structure confers reactivity. He also studies anaerobic metabolism and the role of inorganic nitrogen compounds in respiration and fermentation.
Hargrove has received several awards over the years recognizing his teaching efforts. Those awards include the Iowa State University Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching and the Cassling Family Faculty Outstanding Achievement in Teaching Award.
“I am honored to be selected as the next chair for BBMB and grateful for the support and trust of my colleagues,” Hargrove said. “I am excited to work with the Iowa State community to advance our contributions to education and scholarship.”
The Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology is co-administered by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The department seeks to understand the molecular mechanisms of life, and its research programs cover a broad range of disciplines. Undergraduate students enroll in a curriculum program that emphasizes core competencies in biochemistry, biology, chemistry and calculus-based physics. The department also offers master’s, doctoral and certificate programs in biochemistry and biophysics.