As a university professor, Westpheling teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in genetics and trains undergraduates, graduate students and postdocs in her research laboratory. Her current research is focused on the development of genetic technologies for micro-organisms that convert lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels and industrial chemicals and is funded by grants from the Department of Energy. She is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Society for Biological Engineering, and associate editor for the Journal of Biotechnology for Biofuels. She is an Activity Lead and member of the BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Department of Energy. She holds patents for microbial genetic technologies and is an active consultant to industries involved in the metabolic engineering of micro-organisms for the production of fuels, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. She is currently President of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology. Her research and teaching activities bridge the gap between academic and industrial microbiology.