Jonna Sutherland is a native of Glade Spring, VA. In the spring of 1986, Jonna earned her Bachelor of Science degree from East Tennessee State University with a double major in mathematics and physics. After briefly attending the graduate program in astrophysics at Vanderbilt University, she was accepted into the doctoral program for physics at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Jonna was employed at UT for 5 years as a graduate teaching assistant in physics and optics, while completing her coursework. She then accepted a position with Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a Senior Research Assistant in the Health Sciences Department. While there, she studied the risks to workers handling radionuclide and chemical waste and gained experience writing grant proposals for the Department of Energy.

She later worked as a computer systems programmer for the University of Tennessee, before relocating to accept a position teaching mathematics at Virginia Highlands Community College.

Jonna is currently teaching physics and astronomy at Emory and Henry College.