When Dr. Michelle Valkanas arrived at PennWest just after the pandemic, one of the moments she remembers most clearly had nothing to do with a lecture or lab result. It was the moment a student reached out and wanted to do research.

She was excited. She even told her husband, “They’re going to let me do research with students!”

That enthusiasm still comes through in the way she talks about her work. An assistant professor of biology, earth, and environmental sciences, Valkanas brings deep scientific expertise to PennWest, including a PhD in biological sciences, focused on bacterial genetics and bioremediation, from Duquesne. Her research has explored how living organisms can help restore damaged environments, especially in places affected by mine drainage in Pennsylvania.

Research at PennWest is not just about the science for Dr. Valkanas. It is about what happens when students begin to take ownership of it.

“I would say that it’s one of the best parts of my job, watching students take ownership of research,” she said. “I try to bring it into the classroom, show that they’re capable of doing these things, and then expand beyond the classroom.”

She wants each experience to reflect a student’s interests while also helping them develop techniques and habits that will matter in graduate school, in industry, or wherever their path leads next.

“I really try to find ways to not only build on their interests but also use techniques that are going to make them marketable whenever they go on to their next steps and their next careers,” she said.

That mindset has helped create a strong research culture for her students. Dr. Valkanas typically works with four to six research students each semester. She and Dr. Louise Nicholson hold weekly lab meetings that give students the chance to present, practice and learn from one another in a setting that mirrors graduate research environments.

“We have lab meetings like you would do in grad school,” she said.

She also values the layered mentoring that happens when more experienced students help newer ones build confidence, creating what she described as “a nice group experience.”

What makes her perspective especially useful for students is that she understands how intimidating the first step can feel. She encourages students to attend events like Strike a Spark and Celebration of Scholarship, to walk through the research posters in the hallways, and most of all, not to wait too long to start asking questions.

“The sooner you start those conversations and open those doors, the more approachable we hopefully come off and encourage that research early,” she said.

At PennWest, Dr. Valkanas is doing more than teaching science. She is helping students see that discovery, uncertainty and growth are all part of becoming the kind of scholar they may not yet realize they can be.