Personal:
Jerome Goddard II was born in Starkville, MS but grew up primarily in Byram, MS, a small town in Central Mississippi south of Jackson. He is married to Lindsey Carpenter Goddard, and they reside in Montgomery, AL with their two children, Millie and Braxton.
Goddard has always had a passion for preparing the next generation via teaching and mentoring students. From an early age, he has been heavily involved in community service through volunteer organizations such as Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and ministry at his local church. He served as assistant scoutmaster at his local BSA troop, Troop 99 in Byram, MS, and assistant youth leader at his local church both during 2001 - 2009.
For his leadership in and service to Scouting, Goddard was awarded the Junior District Award of Merit in 2007 from the Andrew Jackson Council, Jackson, MS. Since 2011, he has been involved as a volunteer with his local church, mentoring both high school and college students. Goddard has been presented several awards recognizing his passion and commitment to teaching, research, and service: Outstanding Graduate Teaching awards (2009 and 2010) from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Mississippi State University; a nomination for the university-wide Donald Zacharias Teaching Assistant of the Year award (2010); the School of Sciences Junior Faculty award (2012 - 2013), AUM; the 2014 Excellence in Service to Students Award from the National Society of Leadership and Success (Sigma Alpha Pi), AUM; and the 2017 Outstanding Faculty Award from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, AUM. More recent honors include AUM's Distinguished Research Associate Professor Award (2019 - 2022), the College of Sciences Research Award (Post-Tenure) in 2023, and the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus recognition from the Department of Mathematics at Mississippi College. His research in differential equations and mathematical biology has received continuous NSF support since 2015 through four collaborative grants totaling 2,180,550 US dollars, including 464,462 US dollars for his portion of the projects. Goddard has an enthusiasm for teaching and researching mathematics, but his true passion lies in combining the two by leading and mentoring students in mathematical research.
In terms of personal interests, Goddard enjoys spending time with his family and outdoor hobbies including fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, and backpacking, and serving at his local church here in Montgomery.