Jenna Krall

Jenna Krall grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, historically known as “Steel City,” but she remembers it more as a town of universities with an excellent arts scene. Her high school superlative was “best dancer,” which wasn’t surprising in her extended family full of artists, musicians, and actors.

Krall attended George Mason University, drawn by its excellent dance program. She completed her undergraduate degree with a unique double major in dance and mathematics. “I remember running from my calculus class, which always ended late, quickly taking off my glasses and throwing on ballet shoes,” she recalled. She found a passion for statistics while working on a project exploring injuries from consumer products. Although she found the data interesting, she realized she needed more skills to draw meaningful conclusions.

Initially, Krall was hesitant to apply to graduate programs in biostatistics because she feared biology coursework. She recounted, “I did not want to memorize anatomy.”  However, at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, she discovered her passion for public health. She remembers learning about air pollution research conducted by Roger Peng and Michelle Bell. “Every Pittsburgher has a story about soot covering everything. I never thought about how statistics could be used to better understand the health impacts of pollution.” After graduation, Krall completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Emory University, working with a team of researchers studying air pollution and health. Her research interests continue to be centered on how mixtures of environmental contaminants, including air pollutants, are associated with adverse health outcomes.

Krall then returned to George Mason, where she is currently a tenured faculty member in the College of Public Health and directs the MPH program. She is most proud of helping to launch their PhD in Public Health and developing Virginia’s first college of public health. “I love working alongside my excellent colleagues in other disciplines to ensure our students become prepared public health professionals,” she says. She’s also found her creative outlet in teaching and research. “Teaching is a bit like a performance; I think about how to structure class and present material in a way that resonates with students. But research is also creative—I love the puzzle of figuring out how pieces go together to tell a story.”