Andrew Semotiuk Ph.D.

Dr. Andrew Semotiuk brings experience from the lab, the field, and industry to the classroom.
This includes work in molecular biology research laboratories, field sites such as the Sonoran Desert
thornscrub and the Maya Mountains of Belize, and vertical agriculture and seed-breeding startups. He
enjoys studying biology with students at scales from micro to macro. This lets him and his students
explore the interactions of plants and animals in an ecosystem as well as reactions in a test tube. His
real excitement comes from seeing students find the concepts and frameworks that help them reach
their goals.
His research focuses on ethnobotany, the study of plants and people. That work has led to research
articles on how land-use change affects livelihood, how communities use traditional medicine, and how
they harvest and use non-timber forest products. In the lab, studies delve into enzyme inhibition and
cell physiology, specifically growth-factor gradients.
In his free time he enjoys family projects that include hydroponic gardening, raising chickens, and
camping. Aside from projects, he enjoys board games, tea, and swimming. He is the director of the
children’s Adventurer Club at his local church.
You may spot Dr. Semotiuk collecting botanical specimens near the cross-country trail, and you are
welcome to stop him to ask about the place of plants in our wonderful world.