Jennifer Ferrara

Biography

Jen Ferrara is the Director of Learning Design at the Mays Business School. She earned her M.Ed. from Virginia Tech University, and her BS in Sociology and Criminology from the University of Utah. She joined Texas A&M University in December 2021 as Director in the Office for Academic Innovation and then later Mays Business School in June 2023.

In her role, Jen supports Mays’ strategic mission of expanding online graduate programs across the school by overseeing the program planning and instructional design efforts of all related projects. Prior to joining Texas A&M, she was the Assistant Director of Instructional Design at the University of California Irvine’s Division of Continuing Education and, before that, held various Administrative roles at Fairfax County Public Schools in Northern Virginia.

With over 20 years in academia, Jen has taught, counseled, designed instruction, and led high-performing teams in various capacities and environments. In her 13 years in leadership roles, she has become skilled at project management, process development and implementation, training and development, talent and performance management, change management, cross-team collaboration and partnerships, strategic planning, and innovation.

As an educator, she is passionate about creating engaging learning experiences that promote active learning and the transfer of knowledge to valuable, real-world contexts that facilitate personal growth and the achievement of career aspirations. As a leader, she is passionate about creating psychologically safe environments that foster a culture of authenticity, autonomy, collaboration, innovation, and professional growth. In 2021, a staff climate survey conducted at the University of California Irvine, rated Jen Ferrara as the highest performing manager of the year.