Aileen Keating, associate professor in animal science, is the recipient of the Faculty Award for Diversity Enhancement from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. Her research is focused on the impact of environmental exposures on female fertility and health, and the environmental racism that is present not only with regard to the level of obesity in minority communities, but also due to the fact that minority women have greater exposure to environmental chemicals that negatively affect their health and the health of their children.
Keating considers education as the key to improving the quality of life for all and that it should be a right of all to receive it, regardless of perceived or real limitations. Her background as a first-generation student, coupled with experiences working with disabled students, has enhanced her understanding of and empathy for individuals coping with visible and invisible challenges.