Dr. Kendall Simpson was born in Edgewood, Kentucky and grew up in Dry Ridge, Kentucky. She is the oldest of four girls. She graduated from high school with only 42 other students in her class at Covington Latin High School, a college preparatory high school where students must test to get in and must skip at least 1-2 grades. As a McNair Scholar and first-generation graduate, she received her B.S. degree in Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in biomedical research and minors in nutrition and chemistry from Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in 2018. She obtained her doctorate in Toxicology and Cancer Biology at University of Kentucky in 2024.
“I feel the greatest satisfaction when I can pleasantly surprise my students. During discussions, if I mention something we have in common or offer them encouragement, I often see a look of surprise followed by understanding and a sense of camaraderie — and that truly fills my cup.”
Dr. Simpson indicated she changed her major to Biomedical Sciences during her first semester at EKU while taking BIO 112 Ecology and Evolution. She soon realized that she “loved the logic of different cellular pathways” in Dr. Lisa Middleton’s Cell Biology class. She was extremely interested in the base cellular pathway and how it could be manipulated to affect other pathways in a way that allows for the function of life.
Dr. Simpson knew even in her childhood that she wanted to be a scientist and her experiences with trips to Disney World reinforced her love for science when she visited Rafiki’s planet watch and learned about how to care for animals. Dr. Simpson also said, “My favorite park is Epcot, where the entire theme of the park is learning (cultures, science, contemplating the future, etc.) and my favorite ride is Living with the Land where they teach you about how they grow food on property.”
When asked why she sought employment at EKU, Dr. Simpson stated, “I always knew I wanted to teach and with my background as a first-gen graduate and being a graduate of EKU myself, it felt like ‘coming home’.” Dr. Simpson was hired in August 2024 as assistant professor in Vertebrate Physiology in the Department of Biological Sciences where her lab focuses on prostate cancer treatment.
Dr. Simpson said the students are what she loves most about her job and when asked about what gives her the greatest job satisfaction, she said, “I feel the greatest satisfaction when I can pleasantly surprise my students. During discussions, if I mention something we have in common or offer them encouragement, I often see a look of surprise followed by understanding and a sense of camaraderie — and that truly fills my cup. For example, when a student is discussing a video game with me and I can tell them ‘yeah I’ve played that’ or when I can tell them ‘you are not the only student in your class that does not know how to study or take notes. Let’s try a couple of methods and see what works.’ I also love that my office is open and invites conversation. Students have told me that they loved walking in to chat with me and I take pride in knowing that I have curated my office in such a way to invite that open conversation.”
Dr. Simpson says that she has seen significant changes in her own style of mentorship and teaching. “I’m still absorbing so much and forming myself as a professor at EKU.”
Outside of her job at EKU, Dr. Simpson loves to spend time with her husband, whom she met while attending EKU as a student, and her extended family. She is close with her family and loves to play with her niece and nephews every week. She recalls giggling with her mother on a phone call one day as she came from her BIO 111 class to tell her about the fun she had on her first date with her now husband. She loves to visit them in northern Kentucky where they live on a lake, and they take the pontoon boat out for a ride. Dr. Simpson and her husband spend time at home doing their own things, or they enjoy riding in the car and getting a chance to chat. Her hobbies include crochet, fishing, video games, reading, and “honestly, a lot of everything.” She has two cats, Momo and Annabelle, and checks in on them when away with her Furbo cat camera.