The Public Health and Recreation Department invites you to attend a tree planting ceremony in honor of our colleague and friend, Dr. Jennifer Hartle, who passed away on August 15, 2022 of cancer. The ceremony will take place on April 20, 2023 at 1 pm between Tower Hall and Dwight Bentel Hall, as a part of the SJSU Earth Day celebration.
We are raising funds to place a bench with a memorial plaque at the base of the tree to recognize the indelible mark Jennifer left on our program, our students, and university, and so that those of us who love and miss Jennifer can take solace there. If you are interested in contributing to the costs, please visit our GoFundMe page (SJSU Facilities and Operations will match each donation, dollar for dollar).
Dr. Hartle joined the SJSU faculty as an assistant professor in 2016. She was passionate about sustainability and environmental health, and brought this enthusiasm to her teaching and research. Dr. Hartle loved teaching our environmental health class and was thrilled to teach a new course about food systems, one of her specializations. Dr. Hartle investigated the effects of contact with harmful substances (e.g., chemicals) on human health, with a special focus on environmental exposures from the food system. Working with student research assistants and SJSU colleagues in nutrition and at Stanford, where she did her post-doctoral work, Dr. Hartle conducted research to strengthen dietary exposure assessment techniques in order to help build a clearer connection between exposures and diseases. Her contributions inform exposure prevention strategies and policies. She also examined the presence of chemical compounds in the body and the relationship to childhood obesity in the California LatinX community
In addition to being a strong researcher, she was a fantastic mentor and students loved working with her. Dr. Hartle was a dedicated faculty advisor and member of the public health undergraduate core team. We miss her presence very much. Jennifer served for many years on several committees including the College of Health and Human Sciences Curriculum Committee, the Earth Day Committee at SJSU, and Healthy Campus 2020 – a collaboration to envision a healthier, more sustainable campus for all. During her final semester and summer with SJSU, she led a team of faculty envisioning the development of a new minor program in Planetary Health, which was dear to her heart. Dr. Hartle earned tenure and promotion to associate professor in June 2022.
Dr. Hartle is survived by her husband of 22 years, her two high school-aged children, and her sister. A birding and outdoors enthusiast, she will be remembered as a one-of-a-kind mom, wife, sister, cousin, professor, scholar, colleague, and friend.