Hannah Venit earned her BA from Boston University with a major in Biology with specialization in marine science and her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in Microbiology. Dr. Venit's primary area of research prior to and during graduate school was the human immune response to bacterial pathogens, particularly those colonizing the upper respiratory tract. This research focused on the prevention of disease.  Following graduation, she continued her work in this field designing serological diagnostic tests to detect infection to various pathogens.  Dr. Venit started her academic career teaching as an adjunct Professor at St. Joseph's University and Penn State University before joining the faculty at Chestnut Hill College. Currently Dr. Venit enjoys assisting students design and carry out research projects such as looking for microorganisms in different types of masks. Dr. Venit enjoys teaching both beginning students in the Introduction to Biology course as well as more advanced students in Microbiology and Immunology courses. She values the small class sizes here at Chestnut Hill that enable her to focus on meeting her students' needs as individuals within the courses she teaches.