Jess Dean Rogers spent formative years in Vermont at a small school where skis lined the hallways. Her fondest memories of learning range from making pinch pots of clay dug from the cold creek and cross-country skiing across farm fields to problem solving the loss of a garlic crop or designing a food pantry for college students. She is grateful for the many people and places across Appalachia and the mountain west that nurtured her learning through curiosity, freedom, and exploration. She hopes to cultivate a love of place and learning for everyone that takes part in Kellogg FIELD School programs.

Her academic background includes place-based pedagogy, environmental studies, creative writing, and finance. Prior to joining FIELD School, she spent a decade in higher-ed classrooms, teaching experiential research and creative writing at colleges; managed sustainable farms with educational programs; and served various roles in community advocacy and nonprofit management.

Being an educator means she gets to spend her life learning, which is her greatest joy. In her free time, Jess enjoys playing with plants in the garden and forest and kitchen, baking pies to share with friends, sliding around on snow and ice, and exploring the Granite Creek watershed with her dog and partner, especially on a perfectly sunny day in August.