Education
B.S. Elementary Education, Indiana University Bloomington
M.A. Creative Writing, University of Limerick
Graduate Certificate in Curriculum Design and Development, Ball State University
Ph.D. Candidate in English Literature, Ball State University
Kaitlynn McShea-Jones is the assistant director of online operations at Marian University Online, where she supports faculty, staff, and students in creating accessible and engaging online learning environments. She is passionate about enhancing the online student experience while promoting the university's Catholic Franciscan mission. She oversees the administrative operations of online and continuing education programs, drives student success initiatives, and develops a holistic advising model to support students from orientation through graduation. Her goal is to create dynamic, inclusive, and future-ready online learning environments. She is also an adjunct professor with Marian University Online, co-teaching GLS-220, Global Humanities, where she leads the literature section. She is a Ph.D.Candidate in English Literature at Ball State University, researching Irish women playwrights of the Irish Free State era through the lenses of modernist and postcolonial theory, with an emphasis on how women’s voices reshaped national and cultural narratives.
With more than a decade of experience in K–12 education, McShea-Jones' career centered on the Science of Reading, where she has worked to strengthen literacy outcomes and provide teachers with evidence-based instructional practices. She continues to draw from this background in her university role, bridging pedagogy, technology, and student success.
Beyond her academic and professional work, McShea-Jones is a writer and co-founder of the Heartland Society of Women Writers, a literary magazine dedicated to amplifying women’s voices. Her creative work has appeared in MYTHIC Magazine and The Remington Review, among others. She is also a playwright whose work has been staged at Div(x) Fest and IndyFringe, including The Silent Supper (2024) and (Dis)connected (2025).
Courses Taught
GLS-220, Global Humanities: Co-taught, Literature Section
Areas of Expertise
Teaching Philosophy
McShea-Jones believes in creating an inclusive classroom that fosters growth, confidence, and joy in learning. Using backwards-design curriculum, she provides both mirrors and windows for students through diverse texts and genres.
She emphasizes close reading, scaffolded writing practice, and regular feedback to nurture growth mindsets. Valuing student voices, she adapts instruction based on their needs and feedback. Ultimately, McShea-Jones aims to empower students with critical, creative, and empathetic skills.
Research, Scholarship, Publications
October 2025: American Conference for Irish Studies, Midwest Regional: "Gender Roles and the Postcolonial Experience in Winning Ways by Helen Staunton"
September 2025: Student Success Summit at Ball State University: "Giving Asynchronous Online Learners the Tools for Success: From Orientation to Graduation"
February 2025: American Conference for Irish Studies, Savannah, Georgia: “Women Playwrights in the Irish Free State: Exploring Gender and Resistance”
October 2024: American Conference for Irish Studies, Midwest Regional: “Escapism as Defiance in Milkman”
October 2023: American Conference for Irish Studies, University of Southern Florida: “Gender Roles in Postcolonial Irish Drama: From Stones in His Pockets to The Beauty Queen of Leenane”
June 2023: American Conference for Irish Studies, San Jose, California: “Yeats’ Portrayal of Major Robert Gregory”
Professional Service and Affiliations
American Conference for Irish Studies Member
American Conference for Irish Studies Executive Board, Graduate Student Representative (2025-27)
Catholic Writers Guild Member
Dramatists Guild Member
International Association for the Study of Irish Literatures Member
National Academic Advising Association Member
University Professional and Continuing Education Association Member
