Molly Jenkins

What I do

Molly Jenkins, MSW, is an affiliated faculty member and adjunct professor with the Graduate School of Social Work’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver. She previously served as Research Analyst & Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) Specialist for American Humane Association, where she co-managed a national, multi-year study on the effects of animal-assisted intervention (AAI) for children diagnosed with cancer, their parents, and participating therapy dogs. Molly is also the co-editor of Transforming trauma: Resilience and healing through our connections with animals, the first book to focus on trauma-informed AAIs.  

In addition to her work at the university, she is currently the Grants & Proposal Development Manager at Anchor Center for Blind Children, and serves on the Boards of Youth and Pet Survivors at Children’s Hospital Colorado and the American Psychological Association’s HAI Section. In 2019, she also became the Associate Editor for the Horses in Education and Therapy International (HETI) Journal. Molly’s background and primary research interests center on human-animal-environment relationships; animal welfare, sentience, and behavior; social and ecological justice; nature-based interventions; and veterinary medicine. When not at work, Molly can often be found seeking the affectionate counsel of her two cats, Elayne and Murray.