About Barbara

Barbara was born in Roswell, New Mexico and attended schools in Mississippi, Virginia, Oklahoma, and Germany. She earned B.S. degrees in Biology and Physical Sciences and a M.S. degree in Chemistry/Biology from Mississippi University for Women and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Mississippi State University.  Barbara is currently an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina where she serves as the InterVarsity faculty sponsor. She was ordained to the vocational diaconate in 2016 and currently serves at All Saints’, Florence. She has a son, The Very Rev. Ben Hankinson, Jr. (rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, Mt. Vernon, Illinois) and a daughter, Emily Mercuri (proud mother of Giana and Sofia Mercuri).