PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

Andrea Jacobs Stevens
Assistant Professor, Biology; Director, Undergraduate Clinical Research Training Program, Penn State University Greater Allegheny

Andrea Jacobs Stevens has lived nearly all of her life in the city of McKeesport.

In her career at Penn State University Greater Allegheny — located also in the heart of McKeesport — she hopes that being involved in the community will allow her to help students create a bridge from their education to their professional development. She is the co-founder of the university’s Undergraduate Clinical Research Training program, which provides workforce opportunities in the clinical research realm to students at her campus and those with similar demographics at other Penn State campuses.

She also works in creating a career-readiness culture for elementary and high school students in biomedical sciences. During her career, she has mentored more than 50 students, with almost all of them being women.

“Having this connection with women and providing them opportunities that might not [typically] present to them is really important.”