BACKGROUND

Jessica’s multidisciplinary expertise bridges psychology, health, tech, and the creative arts. She is both a researcher and creative writer.

As a researcher, she explores topics around the integration of immersive technologies to enhance therapeutic outcomes in public health (particularly mental health), the impact of specific environments and content on perceptions, mood, and wellbeing, and the potential for the use of immersive technologies as adjuncts to psilocybin and other psychedelic therapies.

A former U.S. Navy civilian scientist in human systems integration and engineering psychology, she helped address critical human factors challenges across programs and projects to improve the safety and wellbeing of sailors, optimize performance, and enhance operational readiness. More specifically, she focused on human-machine teaming research, trust and autonomy, human computer interaction for operators of unmanned and manned systems, and AI/ML for increased usability, safety, and performance.

She holds a PhD in Psychology, a Master of Public Health, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, with undergraduate degrees in Anthropology and Information Technology. She also has certificates in Cybersecurity and User Experience (UX) and has been Security+ certified.

Her work has been published in Frontiers in Psychology, with collaborations across healthcare, defense, and emerging technology sectors.

CREATIVE WRITING

Jessica is a fiction, memoir, and screenwriter as well as a poet. Her creative writing has appeared in more than twenty fine literary journals, including War, Literature, and the Arts, Word Riot, Red River Review, New Madrid, Conceptions Southwest, Malpais Review, and Stone Soup Magazine. She has earned recognition in national writing competitions, been included in short story anthologies, won genre contests, and was a Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Arts scholarship nominee for students with artistic or creative promise.

Her thriller/horror novelette, “The Scream of the Siren” was originally published by Mocha Memoirs Press in 2011; the rights have since reverted back to her, and she plans to re-release it independently.

Her first screenplay, "Bound to Burn" was represented at the American Film Market in 2025.

She recently finished her first novel-length epic crime family thriller, "Blood Gilt" and hopes to publish soon.

Through creative writing, she explores complex psychosocial themes within larger geopolitical realities. These include how power, violence, grief, and trauma shape identity, relationships, and moral agency across generations and culture—and how resilience, love, and compassion through adversity can reveal meaningful truths about the human experience.

EDITORIAL WORK

Jessica has served as an editor, co-editor, and editorial assistant of several journals. The founding editor of Carbon Culture Review—a pioneering magazine that examined the intersection of technology and the arts during its successful run—Jessica continues to build on that legacy and champion projects that bridge creativity and innovation, including upcoming anthologies in this genre.

EDUCATOR

Jessica teaches courses in human factors and social sciences as Adjunct Faculty at ERAU’s worldwide campus. She has also taught business and technical writing at UMGC as an Assistant Professor.

CONSULTANT

Jessica has helped organizations understand and optimize how people interact with complex systems and technology using evidence-based design, research methodology, and behavioral insights. She especially enjoys supporting startups that drive positive mental health outcomes, foster technological innovation, benefit veterans, and/or champion women’s health.