Dr. Hinks, a native of Delaware County and Philadelphia, PA, has been an adjunct Professor at VMI since 1998. I teach courses in general chemistry (131/132) and biology (101/102), public health, reproductive health biology and gender, and epidemics and society. She earned a B.S. in biology (with a minor in chemistry) at Ursinus College in PA before obtaining a Ph.D. from Temple University at the School of Medicine in the department of Microbiology and Immunology with a focus on clinical microbiology and infectious diseases with research in mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. This was followed by a post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Laboratory Science at Erie County Medical Center/SUNY/Buffalo, NY. Dr. Hinks was employed as Director of Microbiology/Serology at Rolling Hill, Warminster, and Lawndale Hospitals in the Philadelphia area and was active in the local American Society of Microbiology, clinical research involving novel diagnostic methods, and teaching courses in a medical technology program affiliated with Gwynedd Mercy College. Administrative responsibilities later included Laboratory Manager of the consolidated Rolling Hill Clinical Laboratories. Dr. Hinks was promoted to Corporate Laboratory Manager at United Hospitals, Inc. following hospital mergers into a corporate hospital entity, UHI. A brief hiatus at Camp Lejeune and a move back to Lexington opened up new career opportunities teaching at Mary Baldwin University and VMI. Her background in health care led to development of courses in the Health Care Administration program at MBU (public health issues, epidemiology, biology of women and reproductive health, and infectious diseases).
Current areas of interest at VMI include applications of chemistry to contemporary life, how humans affect ecosystems and environment including impacts on infectious diseases and how they spread, the role of biology and gender on health of men and women, the role of public health in disease prevention and how to communicate scientific and medical information.
Dr. Hinks enjoys relaxing with her cat, reading and streaming, learning how to play the guitar, hiking, breweries and vineyards, and music of many genres. Her daughter and granddaughter are the light of her life.