Jennifer Kraft Leavey

Jennifer Kraft Leavey serves as Principal Academic Professional in the School of Biological Sciences and Assistant Dean for Faculty Mentoring within the College of Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology. She directs the interdisciplinary Georgia Tech Urban Honey Bee Project and serves as faculty director for the Explore Living Learning Community, while pioneering innovative Vertically Integrated Projects (VIPs) including Living Building Science and STEMComm.

• Ph.D. in Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis, Emory University
• B.S. in Chemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology

Her research focuses on experiential learning methodologies in science education and sustainable development frameworks. Through projects like the Urban Honey Bee initiative, she examines urban habitat impacts on pollinator ecosystems while creating immersive undergraduate research opportunities. Her work bridges classroom theory with real-world applications in sustainability science, emphasizing community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration across environmental, biological, and social sciences.

Analysis of her publication history reveals a distinct career evolution from foundational immunology research (2000-2007) examining T-cell mechanisms in bone loss to contemporary scholarship in sustainable development education (2016-2025). Current work emphasizes entomology, science communication pedagogy, and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals implementation, demonstrating her pivot toward educational leadership while maintaining scientific rigor.

No scientific awards were documented in the source materials.

Dr. Leavey mentors undergraduate researchers through the Urban Honey Bee Project and VIP programs, developing curricula that integrate sustainability principles across STEM disciplines. Her faculty mentoring role involves strategic development of teaching excellence initiatives across the College of Sciences, though specific grant details remain unreported in available materials.

She leads the Urban Honey Bee Project research collective studying urban apiculture dynamics, the Living Building Science team analyzing The Kendeda Building's ecological systems, and the STEMComm group producing science communication media. These initiatives form an interconnected ecosystem promoting experiential learning through campus-based environmental research and creative science dissemination.