Dr. Jennifer Kruk is a Program Manager at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)’s Chemical and Biological Technologies Department in its role as the Joint Science and Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense, an integral component of the Chemical and Biological Defense Program. She oversees the development of novel research and development (R&D) projects aimed at protecting our nation’s warfighters from chemical and biological hazards. Prior to her current position, Dr. Kruk spent nearly 10 years as a Federal contractor supporting a variety of government clients including the Dept. of Health and Human Services, the Dept. of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Office, and with DTRA in varying roles. She has addressed real-world challenges at the programmatic, strategic, R&D, and operational levels on subject matter related to high-threat phenomena including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear WMD. Her extensive work experience spans the defense, public health, and homeland security arenas in support of critical national security interests. Dr. Kruk received a B.S. from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in Biotechnology, with a Chemistry Minor, and conducted undergraduate research at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, NM. She obtained her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Penn State University. After grad school, Dr. Kruk started a non-traditional post-doc supporting DTRA, where she learned about the many opportunities within the Federal Government to apply her technical background in molecular biology.