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Matthew Nusnbaum's training is in marine chemical ecology and neurobiology. His graduate work focused on the chemosensory detection of feeding deterrents in marine systems. Since joining Georgia State University as instructional faculty, his interests have broadened to encompass the evolution of community level interactions, as well as a separate, but overlapping, interest in improving student engagement in STEM courses. Over the last few years, that has meant developing a new discipline based educational research (DBER) program studying student perceptions and experiences in alternative course delivery (for example, through active learning modalities, undergraduate research courses or online course delivery).  
 
Combining Dr. Nusnbaum's interest in community dynamics with his goal of improving students' learning experience has led to the development of an undergraduate research course (CURE) that studies the microbial ecology of a community of food fermenters. This interest in kombucha and its chemical ecology has resulted in student-led projects in microbiology that have expanded our understanding of complex microbial communities.