In Memoriam: Michael Roner, beloved immunology researcher and teacher

The University of Texas at Arlington lost a beloved biology educator and distinguished researcher in virology with the passing of Michael Roner, age 65, on February 21. 

Dr. Roner, who lived in Mansfield, came to UTA as an assistant professor in 2002. He was promoted to associate professor in 2009. He taught courses in virology and immunobiology to thousands of students. He was beloved by his students, who frequently remarked on his friendly, positive, and caring disposition in course evaluations. Many said his enthusiasm for teaching was contagious. He firmly believed that his success would ultimately be best measured by the future accomplishments of his students.

"Dr. Roner was passionate about teaching and was a talented researcher who for more than three decades did important work in virology, immunology, and tumor biology,” College of Science Dean Morteza Khaledi said in a statement. “He was a supportive mentor to many undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in biology and other STEM fields. I know I speak for everyone when I say he will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.” 

Michael Robert Roner was born June 15, 1958 in Milton, Florida to the late Charles Robert Roner and Sylvia (Thiede) Roner. Since his father was in the Navy, the family moved frequently and growing up he spent time in Spain, Midway Island, Washington, and Oregon, where he did his undergraduate studies. 

He received a B.S. in microbiology from Oregon State University in 1980 and then began graduate studies at the University of Miami (Ohio). He earned an M.S. in 1983 and a Ph.D. in 1986, both in microbiology. His dissertation focused on the differing sensitivity of cells to infection by reovirus, which is a nonenveloped virus that contains a segmented double-stranded RNA genome. 

After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Roner began a five-year postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University Medical Center (DUMC) in Durham, N.C., where he also taught virology sections of microbiology labs for first-year medical students. From 1991-96, he worked as an assistant research professor at DUMC. In 1996 he accepted a position as assistant professor of biology at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida.  

At FAU he received the College of Science Researcher of the Year award in 1999 and the Presidential Research Development Award in 2001. 

Upon joining UTA in 2002, Dr. Roner continued his research program in virology and immunology, including the search for new targets for antiviral therapy utilizing double-stranded RNA viruses. The main theme of his research program was viral persistence—how viruses replicate, spread and evade host defenses. His work was recognized with a UTA Research Enhancement Award in 2004, UTA Professional Development Awards in 2006, 2007, and 2008, and the UTA Provost’s Research Excellence Award in 2010. 

In 2007 he was principal investigator of a four-year, $222,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health for a project titled “In Vivo Antiviral Activity of Saponins.” A saponin is a substance found in soybeans and many other plants which may help lower cholesterol and may have anticancer effects. He was one of three PIs for a three-year, $1 million grant from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund for a project titled “Development of a Multiple Simultaneous Immunologic/Reagent Testing System (M-SIRTS).”

In November 2020, during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Roner presented an online talk for the UTA community about the SARS-CoV-2 virus and what science did and did not know at the time about the virus. The talk provided valuable information and dispelled various false beliefs about Covid-19. 

At UTA he helped establish the Institutional Biosafety Committee and most recently served as its vice-chair. He also was the longtime chair of UTA’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, where he emphasized animal welfare while also effectively streamlining approval processes.

He authored or co-authored dozens of publications in peer-reviewed journals and made dozens of presentations at conferences around the world. He was a member of the American Society for Microbiology, the American Chemical Society, the American Society for Virology, and the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. 

Dr. Roner loved to travel; his favorite places to visit included Colorado and Yellowstone National Park. He enjoyed gardening, board games, watching reruns of the TV show MASH, and decorating his house for the holidays, Christmas in particular.  

Dr. Roner is survived by his two daughters, Meghan and Shannon Roner, and his sister, Kitty Ann McCrady. Memorial donations may be made to Yellowstone Forever, the official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park. 

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