Susan Adams is associate director of teaching and learning at Achieving the Dream. In this role, Susan manages programs and projects designed to build institutional capacity, innovation, and meaningful engagement of full-time and part-time faculty in their professional development efforts in teaching and learning that support equitable student success. Susan produces dynamic thought leadership around equitable instructional design strategies that contextualize student success work to colleges’ teaching and learning efforts by connecting institutions to best practices, peer institutions, colleges examples and resources. Susan’s 25 year career in higher education began at Skagit Valley Community College as an international student recruiter where she leveraged her outdoor education talents to design a cross cultural adventure program for all incoming students.
Education
M.Ed. (student affairs administration) | Woodring College of Education, Western Washington University
B.A. (English literature and women’s studies) | University of New Hampshire
Past Experience
Senior Instructional Designer | Portland State University
Faculty Development Specialist | Oregon Health and Science University
Assistant Director of Student Life | Mt. Hood Community College
International Student Advisor and Recruiter | Mt. Hood Community College
How has education changed your life/your family?
I was privileged enough to be a second-generation college student with my father excitedly walking up three flights of stairs of my first-year dorm room with the classic oversized computer monitor and tower, making sure I had all I needed to embark on a journey he cherished at his time. I went on to get a master’s degree in education, the first in my family, which afforded me opportunities to examine our education system from the inside out and re-imagine what’s possible when you awaken to systemic injustices, allowing me to help others give new meaning to learning.
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