As assistant director of the Global Leadership Scholars, Ryessia Jones has a responsibility to inspire Haslam’s brightest young students. She does so in both her personal and professional pursuits and finds that GLS students return the favor.

“Because GLS students are extremely intellectual and innovative, they challenge me to redesign programing activities to help develop their personal and professional growth,” she says. “I am really inspired by them, especially in our one-on-one conversations.”

Jones joined the Haslam College of Business in June 2016. In her role, she academically advises the GLS students, co-teaches a leadership seminar, plans professional development seminars, and coordinating site visits. Despite the breadth of daily work, she is currently pursuing a doctorate in rhetorical and language studies at the University of Texas, Austin.

“I work with students who seek to challenge themselves and actively try to learn more about the world they live in through their studies, travel and even conversation,” Jones says. “I was attracted to this program because it’s the same ethos I embrace in my own life.”

Jones’ research interests include portrayals of African Americans in reality television, specifically in the areas of fatherhood, motherhood and masculinity. She has also taken an interest in examining media representations of police brutality victims, specifically black males. 

Her interests outside the classroom inform and influence her research. She enjoys reading, writing and watching reality television. She holds an undergraduate degree in communication studies from the University of Kentucky as well as a master’s degree from the University of Louisville. Much like her GLS students, she thinks travel is essential to the learning process, and her current favorite places are Trinidad and Tobago.