Jessica A. Robinson, Ph.D.
Manager
Career Services
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Jessica Robinson grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and is a passionate, deeply-committed
student services professional with over 10 years of student and employer-facing experience.
After receiving her Ph.D. in higher education administration from Baylor University,
Jessica worked as the acting Assistant Director for the University of North Texas'
Bachelor's of General Studies program, in a role primarily dedicated to career advising
for adult learners. After this experience, she then transferred to working as the
Dual Credit Coordinator for Collin Community College, located in Frisco, Texas. Her
primary areas of research include college student mentorship, academic/success coaching,
and community college development. Her journal articles have largely focused upon
the role that human supports play in college students' development of their life purpose.
Jessica is also happily married to Stefan Robinson, College of Education professional
academic advisor for the University of Wyoming. The two of them have three cats: Widget,
Doodad, and Gadget, and greatly enjoy hosting mystery dinner parties, playing board
games, and traveling. In light of Jessica's love for cooking, Jessica has recently
started "Cooking Around the World", in which she creates 2-3 meals from different
countries around the world each month. She also uses this project as a way to learn
about other cultures, in order to more fully appreciate the diversity and community
that a home-cooked meal can provide.
If you have any questions at all, academic or food-related, please don't hesitate
to email me and set up a meeting. I look forward to getting to know you better and
am grateful that I get to be a support in your educational journey!
Philosophy
"And to me, you will be different than all the other young adults, because I have gotten to know you, and that is the true difference," wrote Antoine St. Exubery in his book, The Little Prince. As the Career Services Manager for the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences' (CEPS) Susan McCormack Student Success Center, at the University of Wyoming (UW), this quote frames my career services philosophy. I fully believe that I serve as a resource-to-resources for students, employers, and other campus partners, all with the same goal in mind: to help students land that ideal career-fit that aligns with their passion and purpose. It is important for me to highlight my strong belief that none of my students are ever just "students"--each of us have a different journey, and a different set of experiences that present to us along our educational pathways. These experiences mold us, shape us, and help us develop into who we are and carry with us into the future.
Overall, I understand my role to be all about partnerships—I truly do not believe
any of us work in isolation. Instead, I vision everything I do as part of a larger
team, in which we each take a part: faculty, employers, student services staff members,
administrators, and even the students themselves. We were not meant to live alone,
but instead have been given valuable community members to help guide us where we would
like to go, provide us with tools to get there, function as companions along the journey,
celebrate our triumphs, and support us when we struggle. A wise man once told me,
“show me the company you keep, and I will tell you who you are.” The wise man was
my father, and I hold that value to the very core of my being.
Finally, my entire student services philosophy is fueled by a belief in the importance
of thriving and well-being. No matter what, I want my students to leave our sessions
better when they first arrived and more confident and settled than before our conversations.
I often a use the term "resource-to-resources", meaning that I see myself as a resource
for students to help them navigate through the career-landing process, providing my
community here at the University of Wyoming with connections and referrals to different
employment opportunities throughout the nation. Through creating a network of support
for our students, both within and outside of the College of Engineering, I continually
see myself as a vital member of both the employers’ and the students’ success teams,
providing the helping hand that can help turn each party’s dreams into reality.
