Education:

1992:  Ph.D., Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and the Institute for Environmental Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.

           Dissertation Advisor:  Dr. Stephen A. Boyd

           Dissertation:  Reductive dehalogenation of polybrominated and polychlorinated biphenyls by anaerobic microorganisms from sediments.

1983:  M.S., Department of Agronomy, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.

           Thesis Advisor:  Dr. David J. Parrish

           Thesis:  The effect of sunflower residues on no-tilled and conventionally-tilled winter wheat.

 1981:  B.S., Department of Agronomy, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. (Minor:  Horticulture)

Professional Experience:

2003 - present:  Dept. of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

2002 - Present:  NOAA/NOS, Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research and Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, South Carolina.

1994 -2002:  Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC.             

1992 (Oct.)-1994 (July):  Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, and the U.S. EPA Environmental Research Laboratory, Gulf Breeze, FL.  Supported by a grant from the General Electric Co. 

1991 (July)-1993 (Oct.):  SBP Technologies, Inc., U.S. EPA Environmental Research Lab, Gulf Breeze, FL.  Technology transfer agreement between the U.S. EPA, SBP Technologies, Inc., and the General Electric Co.  (Postdoctoral Research Associate).

Teaching:

Course Director and Lecturer, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

Course Director, Biogeochemistry of the Oceans, Fall 2002, MBES Graduate Elective

Lecturer, Essentials of Scientific Practice, Biomedical Sciences First Year Curriculum

 Course Director, 3 cr. graduate course, MBES Three-week Elective (Environment, Oceans, and Health) (Fall 2001, Winter 2003))

Coordinator, MBES Program Journal Club

Course Director, Pollution Microbiology, 3 cr. graduate course, (Spring 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001)

Environmental Biology, Co-Course Director with Dr. Paul Marino, graduate course (Spring 1998, 1999, 2000) 

MCBP Special Topics in Grant Writing, Co-Course Director with Dr. Eric Lacy, graduate course (Fall 1999)

Facilitator, Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in Immunology, Microbiolobiology & Infectious Diseases (Fall, 1996 through 2000).

Basic Microbiology, graduate course, lectures on autotrophic microbial growth (1995-2001)

Advanced Microbiology, graduate course, lectures on soil microbiology (1995-1997, 2001)

Environmental Microbiology, graduate course, lectures on concepts in bioavailability (1996,1998)

Capstone Seminar in Environmental Studies, Co-Course Director (1995)

Publications:

Smithwick, A., A. Stack, J. Quensen, L. London, and P.J. Morris.  2003.  Inhibition of LPS-induced splenocyte proliferation by ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyl congeners.  Toxicology 188/2-3:319-333.

Sowder, A., P. Bertsch, and P.J. Morris.  2003.  Uranium and nickel speciation and bioavailability in riparian sediments:  Impact of aging, source term, and geochemical controls.  Journal of Environmental Quality  32:885-898.

Frontera-Suau, R., F.D. Bost, T.J. McDonald, and P.J. Morris.  2002.  Aerobic microbial degradation of hopanes and other biomarkers by crude oil-degrading cultures.  Environmental Science & Technology 36:4578-4584.

Norman, R.S., R. Frontera-Suau, and P.J. Morris.  2002.  Variability in Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide expression during crude oil degradation.  Applied and Environmental Microbiology 68:5096-5103.

Johnson, D.L., W.N. Weins, J.D. Makinson, L.E. Murphy, D.E. Conlin, M.A. Russell, and P.J. Morris.  2002.  In situ corrosion studies on the battleship U.S.S. Arizona Part 1.  Corrosion 2002 (Paper 02206), NACE International, 02206/1-02206/11.

Smithwick, A., S. Wilde, L. London, and P.J. Morris. 2001.  Effects of aerobic PCB degradation on immunotoxicity.  In PCBs:  Recent Advances in the Environmental Toxicology and Health Effects, L.W. Robertson and L.G. Hansen, Editors, The University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.  pp 93-96.

Bost, F.D., R. Frontera-Suau, T. McDonald, K. E. Peters, and P. J. Morris.  2001.  Biodegradation of hopanes and norhopanes from Venezeulan crude oil.  Organic Geochemistry 32:105-114.

Olson, J.J., G.L. Mills, B.E. Herbert, and P.J. Morris.  1999.  Biodegradation rates of separated diesel components.  Environ. Tox. Chem.  18:  2448-2453.

Stack, A., S. Altman-Hamamdzic, P. J. Morris, S. D. London, and L. London.  1999.  Polychlorinated biphenyl mixtures (Aroclors) inhibit LPS-induced murine splenocyte proliferation.  Toxicology.  139(1-2):  137-154.

McDonald, T.J., S. Aldrett, J.S. Bonner, R.L. Autenreith, and P.J. Morris.  1997.  Differential biodegradation of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. In In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation, Vol. 2, pp.  213-218.  B. Alleman and A. Lesson (Ed.),  Battelle Press, Columbus, OH.

Allan, K., B. Herbert, P. Morris, and T. McDonald.  1997.  Biodegradation of petroleum in two soils:  Implications for hydrocarbon bioavailability.  In In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation, Vol. 5, pp.  629-634.  B. Alleman and A. Lesson (Ed.), Battelle Press, Columbus, OH.

Morris, P. J.,  M. E. Shelton, and P. J. Chapman.  1995.  Co-contaminated sites:  The biodegradation of fossil fuels in the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls.  In  Bioremediation of Recalcitrant Organics, R. E. Hinchee, R. E. Hoeppel, D. B. Anderson (Eds.), Battelle Press, pp. 123-130.

Morris, P. J. and P. H. Pritchard.  1994.  Concepts in improving PCB bioavailability to bioremediation strategies.  In Bioremediation of Chlorinated and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Compounds, R. E. Hinchee (Ed.), Lewis Publishers, pp. 359-367.

Morris, P. J., J. F. Quensen, III, J. M. Tiedje, and S. A. Boyd.  1993.  An assessment of the reductive debromination of polybrominated biphenyls in the Pine River Reservoir.  Environ. Sci. Technol. 27:  1580-1586.

Morris, P. J., W. W. Mohn, J. F. Quensen III, J. M. Tiedje, and S. A. Boyd.  1992.  Establishment of a polychlorinated biphenyl-degrading enrichment culture with predominately meta dechlorination.  Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 58:  3088-3094.

Morris, P. J., J. F. Quensen III, J. M. Tiedje, and S. A. Boyd.  1992.  Reductive debromination of the commercial polybrominated biphenyl mixture Firemaster BP6 by anaerobic microorganisms from sediments.  Appl. Environ. Microbiol.  58:  3249-3256.

Morris, P. J. and D. J. Parrish.  1992.  Effects of sunflower residues and tillage on winter wheat.  Field Crops Res. 29:  317-327.

Manuscripts In Review or In Preparation:

Smithwick, L.A., R.C. Stanislaus, and P.J. Morris.  Effect of methanol on membrane fluidity and degradation of biphenyl by Alcaligenes eutrophus H850.  (In review, Applied and Environmental Microbiology).

Van Nostrand, J., T. Khijniak, A. Sowder, P. Bertsch and P.J. Morris.  The effect of pH on the Toxicity of Nickel and Other Divalent Metals to Burkholderia cepacia PR1₃₀₁.   (In preparation).

Norman, R.S., P. Moeller, T.J. McDonald, and P.J. Morris.  Effect of pyocyanin on the functional diversity of a crude oil-degrading microbial community.  (In review, Applied and Environmental Microbiology). 

Retzke, J., A. Sowder, P. Bertsch, and P.J. Morris.  Impact of nickel on sulfate and uranium reduction by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans.  To be submitted to Environmental Science & Technology.

Bost, F.D., T.J. McDonald, and P.J. Morris.  Anaerobic biodegradation of Venezuelan crude oil.  To be submitted to Environmental Science & Technology.

Frontera-Suau, R., F.D. Bost, T.J. McDonald, and P.J. Morris.  The effect of n-alkanes on crude oil degradation.  To be submitted to Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Khijniak, T., J. Van Nostrand, A. Sowder, P. Bertsch and P.J. Morris.  Isolation of Gram-positive nickel resistant microorganisms from metal-impacted sediments.  To be submitted to the Journal of Environmental Quality.