Kirsten Hokeness, Ph.D.
Director, School of Health and Behavioral Sciences
Professor, Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Bryant University
KIRSTEN HOKENESS, Ph.D. serves as Director of Bryant University’s School of Health and Behavioral Sciences and is a Professor in the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences.
As an immunologist and virologist, she has published in peer-reviewed journals like Journal of Virology, The Journal of Immunology, Health Communication and Oncology Reports. She is a go-to source for her science-based expertise on COVID-19 and other medical issues in top tier media including NBCNews.com, Huffington Post, Forbes, NY Daily News, Insider.com, Shape.com and Nature World News.
Beyond scholarly publications and media placements, Hokeness measures her success by the impact she makes on Bryant’s students, particularly women who are often discouraged from entering the science and medical fields. “In just the past month, I heard from several alums who achieved incredible success, many of whom are also athletes,” she says. “Our programs in the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences are dominated by impressive young women.”
The stats bear witness: Sixty three percent of Bryant’s biology majors are women, with 70% majoring in health sciences and over 85% in psychology. “Getting these students excited about healthcare, and giving them the skills to succeed, can help close the talent gap we’re seeing locally.”
She left her position at Brown University to join Bryant because she saw “an opportunity to make a difference. What I am most proud of in my career as a woman in science is creating programs and ultimately a school at Bryant University that truly supports women who want to pursue careers in science and healthcare.”
The mom of twins, Professor Hokeness juggles the demands of her job with raising her kids. “I created a place for women who, like me, want to do it all: Study in the sciences, have a career, maybe a family,” she explains. “And I want to show them they can do it, too.”
Kirsten Hokeness, Ph.D.
401.232.6574
khokeness@bryant.edu
bryant.edu
YEARS IN CURRENT INDUSTRY 17
YEARS WITH CURRENT ORGANIZATION 16
EDUCATION
B.S. in General Biology, University of New Hampshire
Ph.D. in Medical Sciences, Brown University
