Ryan Adams

From an early age, our shared pursuit of happiness has shaped the way I approach my professional life. Whether I’m analyzing survey data or monitoring student success metrics, I’m motivated by a desire to elevate student voices and build equitable systems that serve our community for generations to come.

My path began in K–12 education, where I spent three years teaching high school English in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. During that time, I learned how to support students in communicating their needs and foster learning opportunities that were both rigorous and relevant to today’s rapidly evolving world. Those classroom experiences continue to ground the work I do today. 

Before joining Cal State Long Beach, I did contract work with non-profits, where I managed parent surveys and published reports about student data in Los Angeles county. In 2022, I joined the College of Education, where I now serve as the resident Data Specialist. In this role, I focus on building college-wide data collection and reporting systems that encourage collaboration and empower local leaders to make data-informed decisions.

I approach my work with a simple question: How can we update our existing systems to work for the people we serve today? Whether it’s adapting survey questions to current events, drafting templates and guides to make data more accessible, or proposing entirely new approaches to our work, my goal is always to help the communities we serve tell their own story. 

I hold a Master’s degree in Equity, Education, and Social Justice from CSU Long Beach, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in German Language & Literature from CSU Long Beach. 

Outside of work, you’ll often find me baking, hiking with my partner and our dog, or learning a new language—a small reminder of the balance that keeps me inspired in the work I do.