Jess joined SPCE in March of 2024 as the Professional Development Program Coordinator. They received their B.S in Marine Science in 2018 and M.A. in English in 2020 from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. They then moved to Berlin, Germany in 2022 to train as a CELTA instructor and teach English as a Foreign Language. Jess moved to Harrisonburg to be closer to their fiance and return to the higher education profession in 2023. 

In addition to TEFL instruction abroad, Jess has taught first-year writing and business English courses. Their research interests include instructional design, accessibility, the science of teaching and learning, feminist rhetoric, and queer and gender studies. In their free time, they enjoy fiber arts, cooking and baking, reading, walking downtown, and cuddling with their dog and two cats.