Kennelly considers his fortune of three careers

Peter Kennelly has had three careers: as a researcher, an administrator and an educator.

“It’s so much fun to start a new career in your 50s in education,” Kennelly, a professor of biochemistry at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, said. “I’m 67 years old, and I smile at work. I consider myself lucky.”

Peter Kennelly

Kennelly is the winner of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s 2024 William C. Rose Award for Exemplary Contributions to Education.

Kennelly has been a member of the ASBMB since 1986. He served on both the Education and Professional Development Committee and Membership Committee for years, and he chaired each. He also has been a member of the Journal of Biological Chemistry’s editorial board.

He maintains his ties to the EPD and plays an important role in the education community today. Most recently, he contributed to the Inclusive Community for the Assessment of Biochemistry and Molecular Learning.

Dennis R. Dean, a colleague at Virginia Tech, nominated Kennelly for the award. He credited Kennelly with “creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for our students.”

Kennelly contributed to the development of programs that are now pillars of the ASBMB education portfolio — the accreditation program and the ASBMB exam.

John T. Tansey of Otterbein University, in a letter of support, commended Kennelly for his “vision of what biochemistry education should be, and leading and organizing ASBMB to help make that vision a reality.”

In another letter of support, Paul Black of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln noted that Kennelly’s significant contributions to education were due in part to his “ability to provide leadership and develop teams of individuals with a common goal of biochemistry and molecular biology education excellence.”

While Kennelly may have provided leadership to ASBMB’s educational efforts, he believes the Rose Award isn’t his alone. “I am the vessel for hundreds of people who have contributed to education along the way,” Kennelly said. “This is an award for the team, the colleagues, the folks who I’ve worked with over the years.”