Jessica Adams started teaching biology courses at the University of Rhode Island in the Fall of 2015.
In that time, she has shared her love of education and biology with thousands of students.
Adams grew up in Girdwood, Alaska ., where she inherited her love of education from her mother, who taught seventh and eighth grade in her town.
“My mom gave me my love of education and what it means to be a caring person in a teacher role,” Adams said. “Her level of dedication to not only her classroom, but to her students and community was really inspiring.”
Throughout her childhood, Adams and her family would go hiking and loved spending time outdoors.
“My dad is a big outdoorsman,” Adams said. “I just fell in love with the outdoors and that’s where my real love of biology comes from.”
Adams attended the University of Alaska for her bachelor’s degree, where she majored in biological sciences and psychology. According to her, she was very interested in the role genetics plays in behavior.
The summer before her senior year, Adams met her future husband, a Navy pilot, and they married the summer after graduation.
After getting married, she started to travel with her husband on tours with the Navy, and has lived in many different states.
While traveling, Adams received her master’s degree in secondary education with a certification to teach biology for grades six through 12 from Texas A&M University.
Adams then taught biology and anatomy courses to high school students in south Texas, as well as Jacksonville, Florida. After that, she taught general science to seventh graders in Maine.
“I combined the best of my parents with the education piece and the biological piece,” Adams said.
Despite having lived in many different places, Adams says she does not have a favorite.
“I have made incredible friendships everywhere I have lived,” Adams said. “I have favorite things about each place.
Adams also received a Master’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Nebraska, and went on to teach higher education at Delaware Valley College, now Delaware Valley University.
Adams received her PhD in biological sciences from URI, and has been a teaching professor since 2015.
According to Adams, she loves teaching higher education and her enthusiasm for her students shines through when she talks about her work.
“I’m so lucky that I teach a foundational course to so many majors, so students already come in and see the relevancy,” Adams said. “I have students who are energized and excited to show up and learn, which makes my job really easy.”
Adams also participates in move-in day every year, where she helps students and their families move into their new dorms.
“I get to introduce myself to students, and I get to see my students in their element and where they’re going to be for the next year, ” Adams said.
In addition to teaching at URI, Adams loves to spend time with her family which includes her husband, two children who are now both in college, and her dog, Tukka.