Jen Lewis is the Program Manager for the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Fellowship Program. In this role, she supports the application, recruitment, and training activities for the Schmidt Fellows. Jen hails from Michigan and grew up in the Flint and Detroit metro areas before moving to Ann Arbor as an undergraduate student where she earned her bachelor’s degree in the History of Art. Prior to joining MIDAS, Jen provided administrative support in several areas around UM, including ISR, LSA, Medical School, Public Health, and most recently the Michigan Society of Fellows. Outside of UM, Jen worked as a qualitative analyst at Platt’s Data Analytics, a gallerina in an American West focused art gallery in Chicago, and as customer service rock star with Zingerman’s.
Outside of work, Jen can often be found puttering around art galleries, museums, and installations, exploring local hiking trails with her husband and their 3 dogs, and working at the intersection of art and activism specifically focused on menstrual health. In 2013, Jen created a macrophotography project entitled Beauty in Blood to destigmatize menstruation through visual art. Her artwork has been displayed internationally, featured in various publications, including the Palgrave Handbook on Critical Menstruation Studies. As part of this initiative, Jen curated an international exhibition in partnership with the Society of Menstrual Cycle Research and the Center for Women’s Health and Human Rights.