Jess Ramsey began her professional journey in higher education as a success coach for the Purdue Promise scholarship program at Purdue University. Through her work with Purdue Promise (first as a success coach, and ultimately as the senior assistant director), she provided holistic support for income-eligible Indiana students from the time they accepted their admissions offer through their successful graduation. In addition to this experience with scholarship programs and coaching, Jess has experience with first-year initiatives, academic support, financial literacy programming, academic advising, learning communities, honors education, career coaching, staff development, experiential education, teaching, and curriculum design and redesign. Prior to joining the Gardner Institute, Jess spent five years as the director of advising for the John Martinson Honors College at Purdue University.
Jess grew up in the place where West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania touch. She was a first-generation college student, who with the help of excellent mentors and scholarships/grants, was empowered to earn a baccalaureate degree in Political Science from the University of Mount Union, a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel from Kent State University, and a master’s of Business Administration from Purdue University Global. She is also a doctoral candidate, pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Purdue University.
In addition to serving as an administrator in higher education for more than a decade, Jess has designed and delivered study away and study abroad programs (from rural Mississippi to Madrid, Spain), and has taught courses on a range of topics, including leadership development and presentational speaking. She has presented on holistic coaching, study abroad program design, supplemental instruction, building pathways to undergraduate research, financial literacy initiatives, and support for first-generation students, among other topics, at national conferences.
Jess lives in the Midwest, and outside of her work at the Gardner Institute, she enjoys hiking, traveling as much as she can, and reading for fun whenever possible.
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