Jescia Hoffman Hopper ’15 (Art Education M.A.) earned the Outstanding Master's Thesis Award from the United States Society for Education through Art (USSEA), which recognizes exceptional thesis work that promotes "pluralistic perspectives, deepens human and cultural understanding, and builds respect for diverse learners." The award, presented at the 2016 conference of the National Art Education Association, was based on her research report, "Learning At My Own Pace: A Qualitative Investigation on the Impact of Tutorial Videos on Student Learning in an Eighth Grade Art Classroom," and the extensive interdisciplinary literature review that supported that study. An article resulting from that work, "Digitizing the Easel: Student Perspectives on Tutorial Videos in the Art Room," appears in the July 2016 issue of Art Education Journal.

Hopper teaches at Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Middle School in Minnesota, where she works to build a rigorous, holistic art curriculum that integrates technology, collaboration and choice-based art experiences. Outside of teaching, Jescia is Vice-President of the Board of Directors for Fargo Moorhead Visual Artists, and serves as the chair of its Education Committee, which creates exhibition, professional development, and enrichment opportunities for regional art educators and the public. The organization recently teamed up with a local art museum to offer graduate-level workshops and seminars for local art educators. Hopper has presented at numerous regional conferences, the National Art Education Association conference, and frequently exhibits her work throughout North Dakota and Minnesota. Jescia recently completed a series of murals commissioned by the Fargo Brewing Company, which is documented in this stop-motion video.