Jennifer Leberknight
Education
B.S., University of Wyoming
Ph.D., South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
Brief Bio
Jennifer (Jeni) Leberknight is a Rapid City native and proud SDM alum. Her diverse industry experience includes cancer disparity research, medical device development, regulatory consulting, bio-separation product development, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
She brings a multidisciplinary background to biomedical engineering education, having taught over 100 credit hours across 22 courses (as of 2025) in biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, biology, and chemistry, with a focus on design, transport, and applied problem solving.
This blend of academic and professional experience informs a student-centered teaching approach rooted in real-world applications, design thinking, and inclusive engineering practices. Dr. Leberknight is a proponent of alternative grading, active learning, and high structure course design to improve student-centered learning.