Name: Jess Jones

Title: Senior academic HR coordinator

Q: Out of everything you're working on right now, what are you most excited about and why?

A:  I'm ​​most excited about our faculty recruitment season. For this cycle, we have six ongoing searches, which is quite an enormous task. However, I​'m thrilled to work closely with the dean, search committees, and our dedicated faculty and staff members who are all playing pivotal roles in this process.

Q: How do you balance your time between the demands of your work and personal life?

A: Throughout the past three years, I've been learning to cherish every facet of life and embrace the changing seasons. Like many others, I wear multiple hats and ​I balance my time by establishing boundaries, showing myself compassion, and relying on my support network. This year, I've made a conscious effort to allocate more time to self-care and indulge in my personal interests. I ​think ​I've attended more music concerts this year than ever before!

Q: What's your favorite thing about our school and why?

A: I know we're growing but the size! I transferred to the school from the College of Engineering, which has 14 departments and five college-wide programs. They have around 1,550 faculty and staff spread throughout 60+ buildings. As you can imagine, getting to know everyone there was nearly impossible. In Kinesiology, my experience has been more personal. I've had the chance to connect with most, if not all, of the faculty and staff.​ This aspect of our school is something I genuinely appreciate.

Q: Who are the special people in your life?

A: ​My husband, Chris, and our adorable son, Chris Jr., aka Deuce!

Q: What's one fun or surprising thing about you?

A: Before starting college, I trained in a wide range of dance styles, including ballet, tap, hip-hop, modern, jazz, and contemporary. My love for dance began during my time at a performing arts school, where I honed my skills from 5th to 12th grade.

In my senior year, I had a remarkable opportunity when Phylicia Rashad, our commencement speaker, handpicked five of us to participate in her sister Debbie Allen's prestigious summer intensive dance camp in California. During this experience, we were instructed by highly skilled dance teachers and performed at a year-end showcase that drew in renowned celebrities like Denzel Washington, among others.