Kerpelman named Auburn University's associate vice president for research

Jennifer Kerpelman, professor and associate dean for research, graduate studies and outreach in the College of Human Sciences, has been named Auburn University’s associate vice president for research, effective Jan. 1.

In this role, Kerpelman will work closely with the senior vice president for research and economic development to facilitate efforts across the university that will lead to sustained growth in research and creative scholarship. Kerpelman will help promote and develop interdisciplinary, collaborative and team-based research initiatives across campus.

An accomplished researcher in the fields of adolescent development and family studies, Kerpelman brings 30 years of leadership as a faculty member and higher education administrator to the role, including extensive experience in advancing partnerships with external agencies and private-sector organizations.

“Dr. Kerpelman brings a wealth of experience to the role of associate vice president,” said Steve Taylor, senior vice president for research and economic development. “Her many years of administrative leadership coupled with her strong research background make her a great choice to help us successfully cultivate the continued growth of Auburn’s research enterprise.”

Kerpelman, who has served as associate dean since 2011, including a term as Auburn’s interim vice president for research and economic development from 2018-19, has provided leadership to several initiatives designed to strengthen the university’s culture of discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Building upon a background that included eight years of professional experience as a therapist, Kerpelman joined the university in 1999 as an associate professor and extension specialist in the College of Human Sciences. Following her promotion to full professor in 2006, Kerpelman began serving as an associate dean for research and graduate studies. Since then, Kerpelman has helped to steadily increase research funding in the college. Working to enhance external research support for faculty, Kerpelman helped foster strategic collaborations with human sciences faculty members and researchers across the university.

Kerpelman also provided co-leadership to the university’s Health Disparities Research Cluster, a group of faculty strategically recruited to advance interdisciplinary research addressing critical health disparities among underserved populations. Her experience also includes strategic leadership to the AU Health Sciences Research Initiative steering committee and multiple years of service on organizing committees for Auburn’s faculty and student research symposia and SHOWCASE: The Work of Creative Scholarship events.

Kerpelman holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and therapeutic recreation and a master’s degree in psychology from Old Dominion University, as well as a doctoral degree in human development and family studies from Auburn University. She is author or co-author of more than 200 articles and papers, is a National Council on Family Relations Fellow and is 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, among others.