Faculty Advisors
2025-2026 GSA Faculty Advisors
Dr. Matthew Christians
Dr. Matthew Christians joined the Cell and Molecular Biology Department at GVSU in 2012. He received his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of California Riverside, and held a postdoctoral position at the University of Wisconsin Madison before coming to GVSU. Dr. Christians teaches a variety of classes at GVSU, including Cell and Molecular biology, Biotechnology, and Brewing at both the undergraduate and graduate level. He enjoys mentoring students in research projects in areas including plant biology, protein degradation, phytohormone and light signal transduction.
Dr. Sarah Nechuta
Sarah Nechuta is an Associate Professor for the Master of Public Health (MPH) program in the College of Health Professions, School of Interdisciplinary Health at Grand Valley State University (GVSU). She obtained her MPH from the University of Michigan and PhD in epidemiology from Michigan State University. She joined the GVSU MPH faculty in August 2019 after moving from Nashville, TN to Michigan with her family. Her main areas of scholarship include cancer epidemiology, perinatal epidemiology, injury epidemiology, and epidemiologic methods. She teaches and mentors graduate students in epidemiology, public health science, and applied data analysis. One of her passions is teaching students how to use data to design and conduct impactful data analyses for public health research and practice. She is a faculty advisor to MPH graduate students and provides one-on-one mentorship for students’ public health research and practice projects.
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Dr. Mohammad Didar Hossain
Dr. Mohammad Didar Hossain is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Grand Valley State University. He earned his PhD in Productive Aging and Mental Health from the University of Hawai‘i in 2024, following his earlier studies at the University of Dhaka, where he completed a BSW, MSW, and an MA in Gerontology. Throughout his academic career, Dr. Hossain has served as faculty at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) and the Asian University of Bangladesh (AUB). His teaching areas include policy practice and analysis, community organization, and research methods in social work and the social sciences. At GVSU, he contributes to the International Education Committee, while also engaging with several professional organizations, such as the Institute for Innovation in Policy and Development (IIPD), the Bangladesh Gerontological Association (BGA), the Hawai‘i Pacific Gerontological Association, etc.