Rate My Professor Chris Makaroff

Chris Makaroff, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Miami University, where he joined as an assistant professor in 1989. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Purdue University, and completed a three-year NIH postdoctoral fellowship in Plant Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Michigan. His research interests encompass molecular biochemistry and structural biology, utilizing multi-disciplinary approaches to investigate the relationship between protein structure and biological function, with a focus on plant reproductive processes including meiosis and pollen wall development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Makaroff has published 80 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, 20 of which include undergraduate co-authors. Key publications include “Isolation and Characterization of SYN1, a RAD21-like Gene Essential for Meiosis in Arabidopsis” (The Plant Cell, 1999), “DEX1, a novel plant protein, is required for exine pattern formation during pollen development in Arabidopsis” (Plant Physiology, 2001), “The Arabidopsis SYN1 cohesin protein is required for sister chromatid arm cohesion and homologous chromosome pairing” (Journal of Cell Science, 2003), and “Ultrastructure of microsporogenesis and microgametogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. ecotype Wassilewskija (Brassicaceae)” (Protoplasma, 1995). As principal investigator, he obtained nearly $3 million in external research funding from NIH, NSF, and USDA, and $2.2 million as co-principal investigator.

Makaroff advanced through leadership positions at Miami University, serving as Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry from 2003 to 2012, Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Science from 2012, Interim Dean of CAS in 2015, and permanent Dean from 2015 to 2024. Appointed Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs in April 2025, he has taught 19 different courses and mentored over 200 undergraduates, 21 graduate students, and 12 postdoctoral researchers. His honors include Miami Sigma Xi Researcher of the Year (2004), Distinguished Scholar of the Graduate Faculty (2005), Miami University Distinguished Scholar (2009), and the Benjamin Harrison Medallion (2024), the university’s highest career faculty award for excellence in teaching, scholarship, service, and broader influence. Makaroff has served on over 40 university committees, including eight years on the Fiscal Priorities and Planning Committee, and contributed editorially as a board member for Plant Signaling & Behavior (2005-2011), associate editor for BMC Plant Biology (2011-2013), and associate section editor thereafter (2013-2016). As an administrator, he secured nearly $46 million for university initiatives including scholarships, research, and fellowships.