Jennie Charlotte Hunter-Cevera, 77, of Ellicott City, Maryland, died Wednesday, March 5, 2025 peacefully in her home after a long battle with cholangiocarcinoma. She was born March 4, 1948 in Monessen, the daughter of the late Lester W. and Pearl T. DeRose Hunter.

Jennie always considered the Mon Valley her home, no matter where life took her. She was a 1966 graduate of Monessen High School. She graduated from West Virginia University in 1970 with a bachelors degree in biology, and went onto earn a masters degree in microbiology at WVU in 1972. While working full time at E.R. Squibb & Sons, Inc. she earned a Ph.D. from Rutgers University in microbiology in 1978. Her passion for microbiology would serve as the cornerstone of her long and diverse career across industry, government, and academia. Her work as a microbiologist focused on exploring and finding solutions to different environmental and industrial problems, spanning pharmaceutical, food, agricultural and biotechnology areas.

One of Jennie's key talents was for innovation and improvement. She developed isolation procedures for different microbes, improved processes for fermentation and purification of products, and developed screens to characterize microbial physiology. Highlights include 12 patents, discovery of a new class of antibiotics, discovery of novel enzymes and other metabolites, and isolation of novel organisms.

This work was achieved during her time at Cetus Corporation, the Biotic Network (for which she was Co-Founder and Director), and as head of the Center for Environmental Biotechnology at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.

Jennie was also a talented manager and administrator, and she spent the latter half of her career as the President of the University Maryland Biotechnology Institute, an Executive Vice President at Research Triangle Park, Acting Secretary of the Maryland Higher Education Commission, and Senior VP of Academic Affairs and Interim Provost at Mount Saint Mary's University. At these institutions, she developed new programs, improved organization structure, developed and implemented strategic plans, and secured and generated new funding. In addition to all of this, what Jennie seem to enjoy most about these positions was the ability to empower her team, mentor talent, and enable people to become engaged and passionate about their work.

She was also the founder and CEO of Hunter-Cevera & Associates, a consulting company that helped find integrated solutions to complex problems for many businesses, biotechnology companies, and university departments.

Over the course of her career she published many scientific articles and served as reviewer and editor for different scientific journals. She served on numerous committees, advisory boards and panels.

She presented lectures and seminars at national and international scientific conferences and symposiums. She had received numerous awards and received multiple research grants.

She enjoyed meeting and working with new people and enjoyed traveling to all the places in the world that her work took her. In addition to science, Jennie's other passion was drawing, sketching and painting. She loved walking, bowling, tennis and swimming. Jennie was also very spiritual and enjoyed spending time in prayer and being in the presence of nature while reflecting on God.

In September 2022, she said goodbye to her husband of 41 years, Raymond A. Cevera.

She is survived by her daughter, Kristen Hunter-Cevera and husband Dehann Fourie of Fairfield, California; son, Jonathan Hunter-Cevera and wife Heera Lee of Ellicott City, Maryland; brother, William D. Hunter and wife Debbie of Lexington, Kentucky; sister, Melcena R. Mendicino and husband James of West Newton, PA. She is also survived by stepdaughters, Lisa Everson Cevera, Noelle Raciti, stepson, Scott Cevera and wife Cathy, stepson, Marc Cevera, and stepdaughter, Stacy Sartoris and husband Tony, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and step-grandchildren.

Friends will be received on Sunday, March 16, 2025 from 2-4 and 6-8 PM in the Frye Funeral Home, Inc., 427 West Main Street, Monongahela, where a funeral service will be held on Monday, March 17, 2025 at 11:00 AM in with Pastor Thomas Ravasio officiating. Interment will follow in Grandview Cemetery, Monessen.

Memorial contributions may be made to Shekinah Ranch Camp (www.yourcamp.org/giving/) or One Spirit for the Lakota People of Pine Ridge Reservation (/www.onespiritlakota.org/) Online condolences may be made to the family at www.fryefuneralhome.com