Tara Allen, Ph.D.

816-415-7894

allent@william.jewell.edu

Dr. Tara Allen is a professor of biology and Division Head of the Division of Behavioral, Natural, and Health Sciences at William Jewell College, a division that encompasses majors in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, exercise science, health sciences, nursing, and psychology. She earned her B.S. in biology and chemistry from the University of Evansville in 1996 and her Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Missouri–Columbia. Dr. Allen joined the Jewell faculty in 2000 and taught here until 2013, when she moved to another institution where she taught medical, dental, and nurse anesthesia students. After more than a decade away, she returned home to Jewell in fall 2024. At Jewell, she teaches a broad range of courses including anatomy, physiology, exercise physiology, histology, cancer biology, microbiology, biological diversity, and the Preparing Medical Professions sequence (BMS 111 and 211). Her research focuses on cancer biology, and she mentors undergraduate students on projects investigating breast cancer and glioblastoma cells. She also co-directs Jewell’s pre-medical advisory program and advises students pursuing physical therapy and occupational therapy. Dr. Allen loves to teach and was honored with the Carl F. Willard Distinguished Teacher Award in 2010, one of her proudest accomplishments.