Biography - Tara Ross

Tara Ross has a family history of military service (an uncle who was awarded a Purple Heart in World War II, a father-in-law who served in the Navy, and a niece in the Air Force who served three tours in Iraq and is currently serving in Afghanistan). She also comes from a family of educators; both parents were school teachers for over 40 years before retiring. She has wanted to be a college teacher since she was in high school, and has been teaching college students since 1999.

Her bachelor's degree is in Political Science and Secondary Education from the University of Florida (thus making her a die-hard Gator fan, despite their win/loss record) and her master's degree is from Ohio University in International Affairs, with a specialization in Latin American Studies. She worked for a Senator on Capitol Hill and a congressman at the district office while in college.

During graduate school, she researched the rise of paramilitary groups in Latin America, and traveled to Nicaragua frequently while working on her master's thesis.

She has worked as an academic dean, advising hundreds of students in their academic journeys. In 2005, she returned full time to the classroom, glad to re-engage students on their course content and help make the study of college success, or history, or political science an interesting endeavor.

She is currently working on her PhD in Educational Leadership, and in that capacity is researching adult education for people who live in emergency situations, such as refugee camps, after natural disasters, or during war. Knowing how much adult education has benefitted her own students, she is anxious to prove the powerful impact it can have on all people, especially those in crisis.