Jessica Mansbach

Dr. Jessica Mansbach is an instructor at SCPS who plays a pivotal role in the Instructional Design master's program, where she teaches the course INDN 440: Applications of Human-Centered Design. With a background in developing the program and currently serving as the interim director of Loyola’s Faculty Center for Ignatian Pedagogy, Jessica brings a unique blend of expertise and passion to her teaching. 

Jessica's approach to teaching is deeply influenced by her commitment to Ignatian pedagogy, which emphasizes teaching the “whole person”- attending to students’ academic and emotional development and acknowledging how their outside lives and prior backgrounds shape their experiences as students. Her course is designed to be hands-on, providing students with opportunities to apply theoretical concepts to real-world challenges. She integrates human-centered design principles into her teaching, ensuring that students not only learn the material but also see its practical application in their current or future careers. 

One of Jessica’s strengths as an instructor is her ability to mentor students, drawing on her experience working with faculty and staff at Loyola. She believes in the importance of practicing what she teaches, and she models the strategies she recommends to other faculty members. This includes creating opportunities for students to learn from each other and ensuring that the course content is immediately relevant and useful to their professional lives. 

“I have the privilege of being able to get to know students in a different capacity and form relationships with them through mentorship. I look at the class and the opportunity to design the class as a place to practice some of those strategies that I recommend faculty use in the classroom.” 

Jessica's work is also rooted in a strong commitment to social justice and Ignatian pedagogy, which she weaves into her course content and teaching philosophy. By aligning her teaching with SCPS’s mission of providing practical skills and fostering continuous learning, she helps students develop both professionally and personally.  

“The Jesuit Catholic mission makes all our programs at Loyola distinct with a focus on teaching the “whole” of a person.  We are mentoring and forming people who we hope will go out into the world and make it better.”