Venkatanarayanan Sharma

Dr. Venkat Sharma serves as Dean and Professor of Biology in the College of Science and Health at William Paterson University since July 2017. In this role, he oversees seven academic departments and the School of Nursing, comprising approximately 125 faculty and staff and 4,260 students.
Prior to joining William Paterson University, Dr. Sharma was the Founding Dean of the School of Natural and Mathematical Sciences and Professor of Biology at SUNY Oneonta (2013–2017), where he led five departments, a biological research station, and the Science Discovery Center. He previously served as Dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of West Alabama (2009–2013) and held several leadership roles at the University of West Florida, including Administrative Fellow, Professor of Biology, and Director of Health Sciences Advisory Programs.
With more than three decades of experience in higher education, Dr. Sharma’s research spans transcription and cytokine biology, immunology, nano-immunology, leukemia biochemistry, HIV-associated B-cell lymphomas, and biomedical ethics. His original research on B-cell cytokines was conducted at both the Arthur James Cancer Center at Ohio State University and the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
A dedicated scholar and mentor, Dr. Sharma has published extensively and mentored over 100 undergraduate researchers—nearly half of whom are women and underrepresented minorities, along with numerous graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career scientists. His co-authored work has been cited by leading global researchers, including Dr. Jonas Salk, inventor of the polio vaccine.
Dr. Sharma serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine and as a reviewer for national funding agencies and major scientific journals. He has contributed as a reviewer to Molecular Biology of the Gene by Nobel Laureate James D. Watson and Fundamental & Applied Immunology. His research and educational initiatives have been supported recently by the U.S. Department of Education, National Science Foundation, Merck-AAAS, and other organizations.
An advocate for STEM outreach and faculty development, Dr. Sharma has launched several signature initiatives, including Science Saturdays, WISE GEMS (Women in Science Educating Girls Engaged in Math and Science), Share Science, and the Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS@NSM). Under his leadership, William Paterson University’s ASPIRE program (Access to STEM Pathways through Integrated Research and Engagement) received the 2025 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine.
Dr. Sharma’s distinguished career has been recognized with numerous awards for teaching, leadership, and diversity, including multiple Excellence in Teaching and Advising Awards, the President’s Award for Leadership in Diversity, and the Distinguished University Research and Creative Activities Award. He was also nominated for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) and was recently honored by the Circassian Education Foundation.
He completed leadership training through the Millennium Leadership Initiative (AASCU) and the Management of Leadership in Education (MLE) program at Harvard University and is a member of the Arden Seminars. Dr. Sharma has represented his institutions at academic and professional forums across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.