Jenna F. Darby

Dr. Jenna Darby’s passion for education stems from her experiences, students, and coursework in the field of education, which spans teaching elementary to graduate students. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Middle School Education from Covenant College in 2005 and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) from the University of Virginia with a degree in Curriculum and Instruction, including a concentration in Reading Education, in 2011. She earned a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology in 2021 from Virginia Commonwealth University.

During Darby’s two decades working in education, she has taught history, English, and reading to students ranging from second grade through GED preparation in Richmond City and a Virginia juvenile justice facility. In addition to these Virginia teaching experiences, she has supported teachers at a primary school in a refugee camp in Uganda and at a Montessori school in Mexico. Recently, she worked as a research and evaluation specialist for Chesterfield County Public Schools, turning assessment data and research into ways for teachers and the county to make informed instructional decisions. She has taught assessment, educational psychology, human development, and motivation courses as an adjunct instructor at VCU for undergraduate and graduate students.

Darby’s research examines how schools train pre-service teachers in trauma-informed practices as well as mental health in schools post-COVID. She has a passion for supporting secondary students with self-regulation and strategies for school success through research, teaching, and mentoring.