20 ACUMEN • SPRING 2026 his CV. He earned his bachelor’s degree in molecular biology with a concentration in scientific computing from Kenyon College. Then his path diverted slightly. He taught sophomore biology and coached swimming at the Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J., then worked for a year as a manager and licensed pool operator at Meadowbrook Swim Club in Baltimore, Md. None of these roles directly related to the research scientist career he was working toward. Neither was teaching K-12 in his original professional plan, but that was kind of the point. “I knew I wanted to take a break between undergrad and grad school. I wanted to get out there and solidify what I wanted to do long-term,” he says. Over the course of his academic career, he found he loved mentoring and helping his fellow students understand difficult concepts. “Teaching seemed like a natural fit for that,” he says. “I didn’t plan to teach in the super long-term, but I loved every second of it. Teaching K-12 sparked my interest in teaching going forward, whatever that might look like, whether it’s in a mentorship position or at the undergraduate level.” Admittedly, high school biology is a long way from the sophisticated research Seaver is conducting at Lehigh, but teaching had its own rewards. The subject matter wasn’t as complex as his current research, yet he found it rewarding. “I was teaching tenth grade, so we were just starting to get into some of the complexities of foundational biology. High school, undergraduate, and graduate students require different things and learn in different ways, but it was still awesome to share my science knowledge with students at any level.” Seaver came to Lehigh in 2019 as a doctoral student, where he rotated in the labs of professors Kathryn Iovine and Matthias Falk before joining Iovine’s lab full-time at the end of his first year. His work broadly focuses on understanding the pathways upstream of the gap junction protein connexin43 when injured zebrafish regenerate fins. Connexin43 mutations can cause zebrafish fins to grow shorter than normal, with smaller segments and fewer dividing cells. The research suggests that connexin43 helps coordinate two important processes, how much the fin skeleton grows and how it forms its joints and structure. Seaver’s classroom experiences have enhanced his lab work. “My teaching experience, along with Like many kids, Alexander Seaver was curious and inquisitive. From a young age, he had a strong interest in science and understanding how things work. But unlike many kids who jump from one pursuit to another, his love of science never wavered, even when his path took unexpected turns. “It carried through into middle and high school, and it hit its stride when I attended [college] and became interested in medicine, but then really fell in love with hands-on research,” he explains. Though his career at Lehigh would get off to a shaky start with COVID hitting just six months into his program, that early resilience and adaptability would serve him well. “That’s what set me on the path of pursuing a career in science.” Driven by the goal of building a career as a research scientist, Seaver focused on building From Teaching to Discovery SARA KARNISH Alexander Seaver’s academic journey finds balance through zebrafish genetics and student advocacy ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
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