Molly Kennedy

KU PhD student Molly Kennedy
  • Doctoral Aspirant

Contact Info

Biography —

Mentor: Dr. Kirsten Jensen

Research Interests: Elasmobranch Tapeworm Life Cycles

Hometown: Ashburn, VA

 

Education —

B.S. in Marine Biology, Florida Southern College, 2025, Lakeland, Florida

Selected Presentations —

  1. Kennedy, M., Langford, G. Hidden In Plain Sight: Combining morphological and molecular tools to study cestode diversity in Young-of-the-year Bull Sharks Carcharhinus leucas, with notes on some of their life cycles. American Society of Parasitologists 100th Annual Meeting, Winston-Salem, NC, July 2025. Contributed oral paper.
  2. Kennedy, M., Langford G. You Are What You Eat: Establishing Tapeworm Life Cycles in Juvenile Bull Sharks Carcharhinus leucas. Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society 44th Annual Meeting, St Augustine, FL, May 2025. Contributed oral paper.
  3. Kennedy, M., Langford, G. You Are What You Eat: Using molecular tools to study tapeworm life cycles in Young-of-the-year Bull Sharks ​​Carcharhinus leucas. Fiat Lux Academic Showcase at Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL, April 2025. Contributed oral paper.
  4. Kennedy, M., Langford G. You Are What You Eat: Establishing Tapeworm Life Cycles in Juvenile Bull Sharks Carcharhinus leucas. Southeastern Society of Parasitologists Spring Meeting 2025, Auburn, AL, April 2025. Contributed oral paper.
  5. Kennedy, M., Langford, G. You Are What You Eat: Using molecular tools to study tapeworm life cycles in Young-of-the-year Bull Sharks ​​Carcharhinus leucas. Fiat Lux Academic Showcase at Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL, November 2024. Contributed oral paper.
  6. Kennedy, M., Langford, M. Isolation and Assessment of Antibacterial Properties of Microbes Sampled From the Epidermis of Juvenile Bull Sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, and Cownose Rays, Rhinoptera bonasus, in Tampa Bay. Fiat Lux Academic Showcase at Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL, November 2024. Contributes oral paper.
  7. Kennedy, M., Langford G. You Are What You Eat: Establishing Tapeworm Life Cycles in Juvenile Bull Sharks Carcharhinus leucas. Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society 44th Annual Meeting, St Augustine, FL, May 2024. Poster presentation.
  8. Kennedy, M., Robertson, S., Parker, M., Durland-Donahou, A., Langford, G. The Upside of Living Upstream: Spatial Ecology of Elasmobranchs in Tampa Bay. Earth Yay Campus Celebration, Lakeland, FL, April 2024. Invited oral contribution.
  9. Kennedy, M., Langford G. You Are What You Eat: Establishing Tapeworm Life Cycles in Juvenile Bull Sharks Carcharhinus leucas. Helminthological Society of Washington and Southeastern Society of Parasitologists Spring Meeting 2024, Lexington, VA, April 2024. Poster presentation.
  10. Kennedy, M., Parker, M., Huber, B., Durland-Donahou, A., Langford, G. The Upside of Living Upstream: Spatial Ecology of Elasmobranchs in Tampa Bay. FACT Network Meeting, St Augustine, FL, January 2024. Contributed oral paper.
  11. Kennedy, M., Robertson, S., Parker, M., Durland-Donahou, A., Langford, G. The Upside of Living Upstream: Spatial Ecology of Elasmobranchs in Tampa Bay. Fiat Lux Academic Showcase at Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL, December 2023. Contributed oral paper.
  12. Kennedy, M., Durland-Donahou, A., Langford, G. Spatial Ecology of Elasmobranchs in Hillsborough Bay, Florida. Bimini Biological Field Station Visiting Presentation, South Bimini, Bahamas, October 2023. Contributed oral paper.

Grants & Other Funded Activity —

  1. Kennedy, M. Martha Mitchell Pearson Graduate Scholarship. University of Kansas. $22,190.50. January 2026-May 2026
  2. Kennedy, M. Student Travel Award. American Society of Parasitologists. $325. July 2025
  3. Kennedy, M. Power Tie Most Impactful Presentation. American Fisheries Society, Florida Chapter. May 2025
  4. Kennedy, M. Senior Speaker for Spring Commencement. Florida Southern College. May 2025
  5. Kennedy, M. Biology Merit Award for the Class of 2025. Florida Southern College. $500. May 2025
  6. Kennedy, M. Dennis Punches Student Travel Grant. American Fisheries Society, Florida Chapter. $500. May 2025
  7. Kennedy, M. National Panhellenic Conference Scholar Award. National Panhellenic Council. March 2025
  8. Kennedy, M., Langford, M., Durland-Donahou, A., Langford, G. Faculty/Student Collaborative Research Grant. Florida Southern College. $4,000. May 2024-July 2024 Kennedy, M. Dennis Punches Student Travel Grant. American Fisheries Society, Florida Chapter. $500. May 2024
  9. Kennedy, M. Best Poster Award. Southeastern Society of Parasitologists. April 2024
  10. Kennedy, M. Boris T. Sokoloff Southern Biological Research Scholarship. Florida Southern College. $4,500. March 2024-May 2025
  11. Kennedy, M., Langford, M., Durland-Donahou, A., Langford, G. Faculty/Student Collaborative Research Grant. Florida Southern College. $4,000. May 2023-July 2023
  12. Kennedy, M. Hansen Science Scholarship. Florida Southern College. $29,000. August 2021-May 2025
  13. Kennedy, M. Pfeiffer Scholarship. Florida Southern College. $60,000. August 2021-May 2025