//August 24, 2022
Jennifer Kerr takes the message “science is for everyone,” through all her work. She has an enthusiasm for teaching that touches everything from her work with students at Notre Dame of Maryland University, to when she was head adaptive kayaking coach for the Special Olympics Carroll County.
Kerr earned a Ph.D. in microbiology and molecular genetics from the University of Texas, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (UT GSBS), and a bachelor’s in biology and chemistry from Wesleyan College. She was a post-doctoral fellow in oral microbiology at the University of Texas School of Dentistry.
Before coming to Notre Dame’s Dept. of Biology, Microbiology, and Genetics, she served as an adjunct faculty member for the Department of Natural Sciences at the University of Houston Downtown.
She is excited to be part of several on and off-campus initiatives related to science communication and inclusion. Her recent work with Tiny Earth, a program that inspires students to engage in scientific research while addressing some of the most pressing global challenges of our century, impacted science curriculums of over 700 instructors, was published in a special edition of the open-access Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education.
“(We provided) unique research experiences to undergraduates by exploring how to solve a global health crisis-antibiotics resistance,” Kerr said.