Candice Adams is a Teaching Associate Professor in the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS), where she brings deep industry expertise and a learner-centered approach to online education. Her teaching and research are grounded in data-driven decision-making and user-centered design.
Adams is a ‘Triple Tiger,’ having earned her PhD, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees from Auburn University. Her PhD dissertation explored human–computer interaction, usability evaluation, and the design of learning management systems to increase student engagement and interaction. She also holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Software Engineering from Auburn. Across her academic work, she focuses on developing intelligent, data-driven technologies that enhance user experience and support better decision-making.
In addition to her academic career, Adams brings more than 13 years of professional experience as a Computer Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In this role, she led multiple high-impact data science projects, modernizing data pipelines and improving decision-making across several center initiatives. This work included leading the implementation of a data pipeline for an application used during the COVID-19 pandemic to detect the effects of emerging and reemerging health threats on pregnant women and their babies. Before joining the CDC, she worked for Northrop Grumman as a programming analyst.
Parallel to her professional life, Adams has spent over a decade teaching in higher education, most notably as an adjunct professor at Southern New Hampshire University. There, she served as a Faculty Team Lead and Faculty Advisory Board member and taught courses in computer science, information technology, and cybersecurity. When the chance to join CECS as an online faculty member arose, she saw a unique opportunity to be a part of something innovative while impacting and inspiring students.
“When I learned about CECS, I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” she said. “The innovative structure of the college is necessary for today’s evolving landscape, and I was excited about the opportunity to share what I’ve learned and continue to learn with the next generation of data scientists and innovators.”
Adams uses her virtual classroom not just as an instruction space, but as a training ground. “In today’s world, we’re more connected than ever,” she said. “While I might be teaching subject matter, I’m also teaching my students how to navigate in a connected world. They need to know how to be present, collaborative, and responsive in a virtual setting, as many, if not most, will be entering professions in which they will have meetings and make presentations in similar virtual settings. I structure my classes to model that professional setting, and hopefully, my students learn valuable skills they can translate to the workplace.”
Adams teaches Data Science courses for CECS.