Rate My Professor Amanda Adams

Amanda J. Adams serves as Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at Fort Hays State University, where her research focuses on vertebrate paleontology and osteology. She earned her PhD from the University of Iowa, with affiliations in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. In this role, Adams contributes to advancing understanding of ancient vertebrate morphology and evolutionary history through detailed osteological analyses. Her work involves collaboration with international teams on fossil discoveries from Miocene deposits, emphasizing crocodylian diversity and faunal dynamics in East Africa. Previously serving as an instructor in the same department, she transitioned to her current assistant professor position, demonstrating a commitment to both research and education within the biological sciences.

Adams has co-authored key publications in prominent paleontology journals. In 2022, she contributed to 'Giant dwarf crocodiles from the Miocene of Kenya and crocodylid faunal dynamics in the late Cenozoic of East Africa,' published in The Anatomical Record, describing two new osteolaemine crocodylid species, Kinyang mabokoensis and Kinyang tchernovi, from Early and early Middle Miocene sites. Her roles included data curation, funding acquisition support, and investigation. Earlier, in 2020, she co-authored 'A new crocodylid from the middle Miocene of Kenya and the timing of crocodylian faunal change in the late Cenozoic of Africa' in the Journal of Paleontology, helping to constrain evolutionary timelines for African crocodylians. These works highlight her impact on reconstructing paleobiological contexts and phylogenetic relationships. Adams received the Werth College Outstanding Teaching Award, recognizing her excellence in courses such as Anatomy and Physiology. She mentors graduate students on thesis committees, leads educational activities like forensics workshops using teaching skeletons, and has presented research at FHSU's Scholarly and Creative Activities Day and Science Cafe events. Her office is located in AH 324.