Jennifer Biddle has been named the Associate Director for the School of Marine Science and Policy (SMSP) at the University of Delaware. Biddle began her career at UD as an assistant professor in SMSP in 2010. She received her Bachelor of Science degree with honors from Rutgers University and her doctorate from Pennsylvania State University. Biddle is currently the Mary S. Lighthipe Professor of Marine Studies. 

On being named Associate Director, Biddle said she views the role as an extension of the efforts she has put in regarding the current Academic Program Review, the "goals" committee, which has the job of forward thinking for the school, and her efforts regarding mentor culture at UD, both for students and faculty. 

“I think that serving in this role will aggregate my skills and interests and help the School of Marine Science and Policy,” said Biddle. “Director Billups and I have complementary skills for leadership, and I look forward to assisting her as requested.” 

Biddle started the role in earnest by representing SMSP at Honors Day and Convocation this year. 

In addition, Biddle is also a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, and an Editor at the academic journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. She is a trained facilitator of the "Entering Mentoring" curricula from The Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER),  a former UD-Advance Fellow, former chair of the UD Women’s Caucus and she recently completed the Provost Academic Leadership program run by Dr. Dana Veron, Professor and Co-Director of the Gerard J. Mangone Climate Change Science and Policy Hub.