Wilhelm Named Distinguished Professor
Steven Wilhelm, the Kenneth and Blaire Mossman Professor in the UT Department of Microbiology, has been named Distinguished Professor by the Provost.
Wilhelm’s work in the field of microbiology centers on how microbial communities within the environment interact and how the environment shapes those communities. In the lab, they use tools like DNA and RNA sequencing, metabolomics, and quantitative analyses of DNA/RNA of amplified samples to study microorganisms, such as bacteria and algae. The Wilhelm lab gives graduate students hands-on opportunities in the laboratory and in the field, helping them to be a part of groundbreaking research on the microbiology of lakes and oceans. Currently, the Wilhelm lab is concentrating specifically on virus ecology, toxic cyanobacterial blooms, and developing molecular tools for microbial ecology.
Wilhelm has been awarded numerous recognitions for his work. In 2021, he won the John H Martin Award from the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) for his research on the viral shunt. He is also a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, a Sustaining Fellow of ASLO, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
In 2026 Wilhelm, along with former student Brittany Zepernick (PhD, ‘23) and their collaborator Professor Mike Mckay (U Windsor) were name laureates of the Daylight Academy, receiving the 2026 Daylight Award for their work on how a changing climate influences light usage by Great Lakes algae in the winter.
The honorable title of Distinguished Professor is named by the Provost, recognizing faculty who have contributed to considerable advancement in their fields. These faculty members have cultivated new, transformative knowledge in their area of study, establishing themselves in excellence even internationally. This title recognizes Wilhelm for his achievements as he continues to produce innovative and pioneering research on how microbial communities interact and shape the planet.
by Sloan Docekal