Jackie Acres

How does life work? Professor Jackie Acres is a biophysicist who has relentlessly pursued this question through various fields of engineering and science. She enjoyed biology in high school but also found satisfaction in the mathematical rigor required in her chemical engineering classes during her undergrad. She completed her M.S. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Biomedical Engineering analyzing arterial blood flow. When pursuing a Ph.D., she found a home in the physics department at Portland State University where she was able to study how physics could be applied to better understand biological phenomena.

She is passionate about making STEM topics accessible to a wide range of audiences. She has taught robotics to K-12 students and undergraduates. She has worked on math and science with students in middle to high school and undergraduate students. She has volunteered at science fairs, participated in Women in STEM days, worked on the Science Trust Project through the American Physical Society, and mentored undergraduate students in STEM. To support students in physics, she feels it is critical for them to receive the support they need at all levels. As such, she’s met and worked with high school teachers and congressional representatives to assess what those needs are and discuss ideas of what can be done to meet those needs.

Areas of Expertise/Interest

Biological physics, biophysics, science communication,science policy.