Jennifer Kerpelman has been named Auburn University’s interim vice president for research, effective June 1. She is a professor
Kerpelman brings more than 20 years of leadership as a faculty member and higher education administrator to the role.
She has performed extensive research in adolescent development and family studies. She also has experience in advancing partnerships with external agencies and private-sector organizations.
“In addition to being a noted researcher and scholar, Dr. Kerpelman is an effective administrator who brings a wealth of experience to advancing Auburn’s research enterprise,” said Auburn President Steven Leath. “This is a critical time for Auburn as we look to expand our research capabilities while bolstering our institution’s role as an economic resource to Alabama. With her diverse array of experiences, I am confident Dr. Kerpelman will carry this important momentum forward.”
Kerpelman’s interim appointment comes after the vice president for research position was vacated when John Mason, outgoing vice president for research and economic development, accepted a position at the University of Pennsylvania at Harrisburg.
Auburn will launch a national search for a new vice president for research in the coming weeks. Calvin Johnson, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, will chair the service committee.
Kerpelman has provided leadership to several initiatives designed to strengthen the university’s culture of discovery, innovation
“I am honored to serve Auburn University in this important capacity,” Kerpelman said. “I look forward to capitalizing on our institution’s disciplinary and multidisciplinary synergies in pressing areas such as health sciences, climate and environmental sciences, cyber and technology research and scholarship that addresses rural poverty, in addition to other scholarly areas where our faculty
Kerpelman came to Auburn in 1999 as an associate professor and extension specialist in the College of Human Sciences. She was promoted to full professor in 2006 and began to serve as an associate dean for research and graduate studies.
Kerpelman has helped to steadily increase research funding for the College of Human Sciences. She has also worked with the Center for Health Ecology and Equity Research director and fostered strategic collaborations with human sciences faculty and researchers across the university.
Since 2015, Kerpelman has been a co-leader in Auburn's Health Disparities Research Cluster, a group of faculty strategically recruited to advance interdisciplinary research that addresses critical health disparities among underserved populations.
Other campus initiatives Kerpelman has been involved in are the AU Health Sciences Research Initiative Steering Committee, a group that supports health sciences research occurring in every college and school across Auburn's campus, and the "This is Research" faculty
Kerpelman has bachelor’s degrees in psychology and therapeutic recreation, a master’s degree in psychology from Old Dominion University and a doctoral degree in human development and family studies from Auburn University.
Some of Kerpelman's qualifications are she is author or co-author of more than 200 articles and paper and a National Council on Family Relations Fellow.
She is also a member of the Society for Research on Adolescence, the International Society for Research on Identity, the National Council on Family Relations and the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships.
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