Dr. Bianca L. Garner is a Professor of Biology Department and Institutional Accreditation Liaison at Tougaloo College. Dr. Garner is currently serving as a rotating Program Director at the National Science Foundation, Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences. Dr. Garner received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana, a Master of Science in Microbiology from the University of South Florida and a doctoral degree in Microbiology from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She has received leadership training in higher education and biomedical research. Dr. Garner has served as department chair, division dean, Assistant Provost/Vice-President of Academic Affairs and Provost at Tougaloo College. She is the recipient of numerous grants, including the Mississippi IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) grant for research, and a NSF RUI Investigator Initiated Award. She has also served as a co-PI of an NSF Scholarship Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Grant (S-STEM) and NSF HBCU-UP Targeted Infusion. She has established a microbial research program, where she mentors undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Garner is a journal reviewer for several journals and has served on grant review panels for the National Science Foundation.