Dr. Jennie Doke-Kerns

Professor of English & Academic Services Coordinator, DMACC West Campus

Dr. Jennie Doke-Kerns is a lifelong resident of the greater Des Moines area. As a first-generation college student from the southwest side of Des Moines, Jennie began her college education at DMACC. She later went on to receive a bachelor’s in Secondary Education and English. She completed an MS in Effective Teaching, Learning, and Leadership from Drake in 2004 and an MA in 2008. In 2016, Jennie earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Drake University.

Dr. Doke-Kerns has spent more than 25 years in education, teaching at the high school and the college levels, as well as spending four years in administration overseeing DMACC’s college in prison programs and adult education initiatives. Jennie is now an English and Humanities Professor and Academic Support Services Coordinator on DMACC’s West Campus. She has served as chair of the Iowa Organization for Student Success, the chair of the Iowa Consortium for Higher Education in Prison, and a board member of Iowa Prison Industries.

Currently, Jennie serves as a board member at the Young Women Resource Center, chair of West Des Moines Democrats, and Past Chair of DMACC’s Diversity Commission. She also works on the college’s College Council, Veteran and Military Support Committee, and as a campus representative for the West Campus on the Higher Education Associates, a Union organization.

Jennie lives in the neighborhood around Valley Junction with her husband and younger children; their home near Hillside Elementary has been in the family for more than 25 years. Dr. Doke-Kerns is committed to community service and fostering an inclusive West Des Moines that celebrates diversity and enhances belonging fo all its residents and guests.