Kandace T. Hurst, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Justice Research (CJR) at Texas Southern University and a senior instructor and director of the undergraduate laboratories and undergraduate office in the Department of Chemistry at Louisiana State University and A&M College (LSU). Additionally, Dr. Hurst is the Director of the Biology Intensive Orientation for Students at LSU. She earned a B.Sc. in Chemistry from Southern University and A&M College and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from LSU.

Dr. Hurst’s research focuses on the intersection of crime, educational access and healthcare and their combined impact on upward mobility in communities of color. More specifically, she is interested in how environmental stressors impact health outcomes in disenfranchised communities and how strengthening STEM educational pathways can be used for upward socioeconomic mobility.

Dr. Hurst has over fifteen years of teaching experience in STEM education and has also conducted various hands-on lab demonstrations and training opportunities for K-12 students, educators, and administrators in Louisiana. As a certified secondary educator through the Louisiana State Department of Education, Dr. Hurst applies effective instructional design models when teaching chemistry fundamentals.  Dr. Hurst received the University College Tiger Athletic Foundation Teaching Award at LSU for excellence in undergraduate teaching in 2017 and 2018 and the 2020 College of Science Undergraduate Teaching Award.

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