Jessica Owens, M.A.

Jessica Owens joined OSA this year as the Academic Success Assistant Director serving as a learning specialist to help medical students succeed in their learning. She has a background of working in student academic support having spent over three years working with underrepresented pre-medical students at Rutgers University and overseeing collaborative learning programs at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) for nearly a decade. She has taught college-level courses on pedagogy and communication at institutions including CMU, Geneva College, Robert Morris University, Rutgers University, and Taylor University. Jessica is currently working on her PhD in Education with a Learning Sciences specialization at Rutgers University where she is researching the impact of collaborative learning on science inquiry. She holds a master’s degree in higher education with a concentration in teaching from Geneva College and a bachelor’s degree in professional writing from Taylor University. However, her love of learning has led to her completing coursework at a wide variety of institutions including the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Oxford as well as visiting other universities in England, France, Ireland, Scotland, and across the U.S.  

Aside from her love of learning and helping others with their learning, she is a Pittsburgh native and enjoys celebrating the unique history, architecture, and scenery of the city as well as rooting for local sports teams—go Pens! After work you may find her doing Pilates, hiking, kayaking, traveling, reading, playing volleyball or pickleball, volunteering with local organizations, or enjoying the fun aunt life with her out-of-state nieces and nephew.