KRISTY SPEAR

Kristy Spear is the Assistant Director for Honors Experiential Learning with the University of Florida Honors Program. In this role, she creates and curates unusual learning experiences that support purposeful academic and professional development for high-achieving students. Before joining Honors in 2014, she spent several years in human resources with responsibilities ranging from employee training and development to global recruitment. Capitalizing on the experience she gained in HR, Kristy transitioned to a role in career services. As the Assistant Director for Career Development, she designed and implemented a variety of innovative instructional programs to support a diverse population of learners. Many of these programs were presented at national conferences and used as model initiatives at other institutions. Since 2006, Kristy has developed multimodal social, experiential, and formal learning courses, workshops, and trainings using a host of pedagogical and instructional practices for a large cross-section of learners. She has a measurable and proven track record of successful course development, project management, and working with different stakeholders to design and deliver unique and engaging courses supported by research and adult learning theories. 

Kristy earned an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science with a focus on Health and Communication and a minor in Hospitality Management. She holds a Master's degree in Educational Leadership and a Ph.D. in Educational Technology with a graduate certificate in Digital Humanities. Her research is centered around designing online courses that foster learning and engagement for high-achieving learners.

 

Outside of an academic setting, Kristy's employment history includes several unique experiences - ballroom dance instructor, Halloween Horror Nights Scareactor, and pyrotechnician to name a few. When not at work, Kristy spends her time outdoors walking or biking trails, reading, and enjoying (playing, listening to, and dancing along with) music and never turns down an opportunity to learn something new.