Dr. Jessica Sargent recently completed her first year at the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs and is already making an impact.
Sargent is a teaching professor who received the inaugural Baker School Undergraduate Excellence in Teaching Award, an honor based on student nominations. The recognition reflects the connections she built with students, and it signals that they are engaging with her classes and the learning experience.
Sargent’s path to teaching was not linear. She fell into it almost by accident. As a student, she was shy and rarely spoke in class. That changed during her first master’s program when she received a teaching assistantship. Her department chair doubted she had the temperament to teach and planned to keep her in an online role. One semester later, everything shifted. She stood in front of 65 college students and it clicked. She loved teaching and decided that this was the path for her.
Sargent’s classroom reflects that unexpected beginning. Her teaching philosophy centers on curiosity, critical thinking, and authenticity. She encourages students to wrestle with complex ideas, ask questions freely, and even enjoy the process. She reminds students, “I am not here to ruin your life, I am here to help you learn something.” Humor, enthusiasm, and intellectual rigor define her approach and set the tone for her courses.
What stands out most is the way she connects with students. She arrives early to class, talks with students, and brings stories and levity into the room to make challenging material more accessible. The goal is not just content mastery but transformation. She hopes students leave with stronger critical-thinking skills, greater confidence in handling difficult issues, and a deeper respect for people who think differently from them.
That belief in learning also shapes how she thinks about public administration education more broadly. In her co-authored work with Mark McBeth “Preparing Public Administrators and Policy Analysts for a Polarized World,” which was published in “Teaching Public Administration,” Sargent examines how public administrators are increasingly required to operate not only as technical experts but also as mediators between competing groups in politically charged settings.
The article explores how rising polarization, declining institutional trust, and identity-based conflict complicate even routine policy implementation, and it argues that public administration education must prepare students for this reality.
Some of her most meaningful classroom moments come from watching students grow through disagreement. She recalls a debate about school safety in which students initially divided along political lines. With guidance, they were able to step back and recognize a shared underlying concern: everyone in the room wanted children to be safe. That realization became an example of “charitable listening” and the kind of understanding she tries to cultivate in every class.
Outside of individual moments, Sargent is most energized by watching students evolve over a semester. Every class brings together different backgrounds, perspectives, and goals, and she enjoys seeing those differences turn into collaboration, friendship, and shared learning. “Ultimately, my favorite part of working with students is getting to witness growth in real time,” she says. “These are wonderful young adults figuring out who they are and how they can contribute.”
Her connection to the Baker School plays a central role in her experience as an educator. She became familiar with the school through its “You Might Be Right” podcast and was drawn to its emphasis on finding common ground and constructive dialogue. Now, she sees those values daily in the classroom environment.
As she reflects on the award and her journey, she thanks her colleagues, mentors from Idaho State University, and the Baker School community for shaping her development as an educator. She credits her students, who challenge her, support her, and keep her grounded. “I genuinely feel lucky to teach at the University of Tennessee and at the Baker School,” she says. She closes with a familiar note of enthusiasm: “Go Vols!”