Biography

Jenny Hill is the Grants Development Manager for College of the Arts at the University of Florida, supporting faculty in finding and securing grant funding and forming collaborative partnerships to further their creative arts research. She provides trainings for faculty on grant seeking, project/budget planning, and proposal writing, as well as 1:1 support in preparing a grant application. Jenny’s career includes work in legal research, human resources management, and education, including instruction in theater, dance, creative writing, language arts, and yoga.

In 2016 Jenny co-founded a project based learning public charter school in east Gainesville with a mission dedicated to social justice, environmental stewardship, and innovation. She led the school as director through 2023, spearheading the coordination and management of multiple grant programs and securing and administering over $1 million in local, state, and federal funds. As the director Jenny managed all aspects of school operations including finance and budgeting, collaborating with various stakeholders to identify funding opportunities, write grant proposals, and manage grant lifecycles. She and her staff also worked in partnership with the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding, utilizing restorative practices to strengthen organizational culture and climate.

Jenny holds a bachelor’s degree in drama with a minor in dance from Duke University and a master’s in education from the University of Florida. She has worked as an actor and choreographer in professional theater and film in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Jenny performed in multiple short films directed by UF professor Dr. James Babanikos, including the lead role in Somewhere Beyond, winner of the Gold Kahuna Award for Excellence in Filmmaking at the Honolulu International Film Festival and the CINE Golden Eagle Award. She has performed as a dancer her entire life, most recently in Flores do Samba with the Gainesville Circus Center.