Jerry Kernes

Jerry Kernes

Jerry Kernes

Is it a split personality? Or is it nature/nurture?

One side of Jerry Kernes, the assistant professor of psychology, holds a Ph.D. from Arizona State University. The other grew up working construction.

“I’ve got these two different parts of who I am,” Kernes said, his small frame speaking much more to academics than carpentry. Matching his red hair, Kernes’ fiery Irish red goatee nearly blends in with his Southern California “tan,” which, to an Irishman, generally translates into red. “It’s nice to have that sort of balance.”

His ability to build and create began long ago. In fact, he was first on a construction site when he was 7.

“The first thing I did was swept up, things like that,” he said. Moving up each year, “by high school, I could do all kinds of things.”

Coming from a long line of blue collar Irish workers, poking around the site from an early age was simply the Kernes status quo.

“There wasn’t any question about it,” he said. “My dad worked with his dad, and I worked with mine. That’s what we’ve always done.” I was the first one to break out of that.”

The Kernes family originated from Ireland, and they came to America for a better life. But “better” is relative. In this case, better simply means not starving, rather than going to college. Kernes was the first in his family to make that leap.

Now, holding a Bachelor’s degree from Cal State Fullerton, and Master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Arizona State University, Kernes still retains a tint of blue collar on his red skin.

He still enjoys painting, plumbing, electrical work, building, etc., anything to get his hands on something. He still does different projects for friends, in addition to painting his mom’s kitchen and building an entire oak entertainment center on his own porch, which he couldn’t get through the back door when the project was done.

“You know the person who builds the boat in his backyard and can’t get it out of his backyard,” he said. “I sometimes do things like that.”

But despite the occasional absent-minded professor moment, Kernes will continue to build and undertake construction projects because, well, he’s not quite sure why.

“I think I do enjoy it because I keep doing it,” he said. “I think that’s why I can’t get away from it. I like doing it. I don’t know why. I’m always trying to bring new levels of understanding to myself. I think I have a pretty good understanding of who I am. These are some ways I try to have that balance as a person.”

The other side of Kernes – the academic side – takes up most of his free time. Occasionally, though he wields the pen for fun rather than work. Although he hasn’t done it for a couple years, Kernes admits to composing a poem or two when inspiration hits.

“Something will spark an interest and I’ll sit down and write,” he said. “It’s fun to express a different part of myself.”

And as an occasional poet, it should come as no surprise that one of Kernes’ favorite musicians is still constantly regarded as a poet who simply set his poetry to a tune.

A self-proclaimed “huge Bob Dylan fan,” Kernes said that he is too young to be expected to know and love Dylan. But Dylan spans generations, and even Kernes’ students can enjoy his work, despite not being around when it really hit, when Dylan was the first to actually write about something.

“To me, he’s just a real creative genius,” Kernes said. “I love his music.”

But the psychologist in Kernes (although he hates being called a psychologist: It’s part of who he is. It’s not who he is, he would say) can’t help but dissect Dylan’s relationship with his fans, what he represented to them.

“People are always trying to define him,” Kernes said. “When people don’t know who he is, we try to invent who he is. If someone met me and liked the work I did, I wouldn’t want someone to approach me from that aspect. He’s not his music. It’s a part of who he is. People are people first.”

But despite his reservations on how people from earlier generations regard the reluctant sage, Kernes can’t help but have a little fun with the musician’s arguable singing talent.

At a recent wedding reception, he did a Bob Dylan impression, which he actually repeated readily during the interview, accurately groaning an a cappella verse of “Just Like a Woman.”

“I have such a narrow range, but that’s the one thing I can do,” he said, admitting to occasionally hitting karaoke bars with his wife in the past. “She’s the singer. She sounds good. I can only do Dylan.”

Kernes’ karaoke days may be behind him. Married in June of 2002, Kernes and his wife had their first child in 2005. They named him “Keagan” which means “fiery little one.” Kernes is debating what part of himself might materialize in his son.

“Is he going to get the (hands-on) skills or is he going to get the academic side?” he said. “Have I started a new chain that he might follow?”

THE PROFESSOR

As for his students, Kernes asks for curiosity: “You don’t have to come into my class knowing everything,” he said. “Sometimes, knowledge can get in the way. You give me the student who has that thirst for knowledge, that’s a student I’m going to connect with most.

“I see them for a small amount of time, but If I can turn on their curiosity, then they’re going to go do that additional learning on their own.”

As a professor, Kernes’ sense of humor peeks out, whether he wants it to or not, which most students like, but not everyone.

“I’m learning to be a little bit more aware of when I need to reign myself in a bit,” Kernes said, estimating that about 85 percent of his students appreciate his sense of humor. “I worry about that other 15 percent. I worry about turning them off, or hurting them in some way that’s not intended.”

But despite his worries, this is simply Kernes at his most basic. This is who he is.

“I don’t try to have a sense of humor with them. I can’t stop that sense of humor with who I am. I just basically try to be myself.”

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