Sidebar: Jordan’s Bio

Sidebar: Jordan’s Bio

Hometown: Charlottesville, Virginia.

Education: PhD 1989 (biochemistry), Purdue University. BS 1982 (chemistry), Fisk University.

Research Focus: The interaction of proteins in the body.

Recent Positions:

  • Director of the Science Education Alliance at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 2008 to 2011; senior program officer, 2006 to 2007.
  • Associate vice president of academic affairs, Xavier University of Louisiana (2005), where Jordan was also associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, 2003 to 2005.
  • Chemistry faculty at Xavier University, 1994 to 2005
  • Visiting scientist, biophysics, University of Michigan, 1998.
  • Postdoctoral fellow, University of Cincinnati, 1994.
  • Postdoctoral training at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine in cell biophysics and pharmacognosy (the study of medicines developed from natural sources), 1989 to 1993.

Awards:

  • SEED magazine’s Innovative Mind of Science Education award, March 2009.
  • Distinguished Alumna of Purdue University, 2008. Jordan was the first African American woman to earn a PhD in biochemistry at Purdue.

Family: Husband Eric Heatley and adult twins, Patrice Starck and Jordan Starck.

Recreational Interests: For quiet times: listening to music (especially jazz), observing nature, and taking in art. For all other times, anything that provides an adrenaline rush: driving a car on the open road, skydiving, or riding roller coasters.