Bio: Jessica R. Spence is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Agricultural Leadership and Community Education at Virginia Tech. As a Research Fellow with VT's Institute of Critical Technology and Applied Science, her work centers on a focused line of inquiry spanning international agricultural development, gender-based agricultural issues, and development communications. An experienced educator in agricultural communications, Jessica specializes in visual communications — including photography, branding, and graphic design — and brings both scholarly rigor and creative expertise to her teaching and research. Prior to her doctoral studies at Virginia Tech, Jessica served as Program Coordinator for the International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program in Ghana, where she led and supported U.S. agriculture educator volunteers working in rural Ghanaian schools. Additionally, she served as Field of Hope's communication and marketing manager for seven years, producing all in-house communication output including photography, videography, and digital and print campaigns. This work followed the completion of an M.S. in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications and a B.S. in Agricultural Communications and Journalism, both from Texas A&M University, where she first developed her research focus on gender-based agricultural issues within international development contexts. Jessica's work bridges communication, education, and global agriculture — driven by a commitment to equity and impact across diverse communities. She will begin her role as an Assistant Professor of Life Sciences Communication at VT in the fall of 2026. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys iced coffee, gardening, cooking, freshwater fishing, oil painting, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Research Interests:

  • Qualitative, participatory, and visual research methods
  • Storytelling
  • Communication for development
  • Food systems resilience
  • International agricultural development
  • Gender-based agriculture issues

Education:
Ph.D. Agricultural and Life Sciences, Emphasis: Life Sciences Communication, Virginia Tech 2026
M.S. Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications, Texas A&M University 2020
B.S. Agriculture Communications and Journalism, Texas A&M University 2018 

Website: jessicaraespence.com