Dr. Adams had degrees from the University of Missouri, ASU, and the University of San Diego and always said she was "dangerously overeducated". 

She was a faculty member at ASU College of Nursing for 20 years, then served as the Director of the Carrington College of Nursing and Dean of Academic Affairs for Chamberlain College.

Prior to joining ASU, she worked for health care agencies in Arizona and Missouri and taught at the St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing in Kansas City. 

Dr. Adams was well known in the nursing community for her practice with inmate mothers in the Arizona prison system. For this work, she and a peer received a prestigious grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research. Along with other faculty, she helped develop a tool for evaluating professionalism in nursing which is used by nurses worldwide.

She authored numerous scholarly publications. An active member of the Arizona Nurses' Association, she served on the board of directors and was named as the outstanding member in 1997. Dr. Adams served on several boards of directors for community organizations and was a member of Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society for Nursing.

Dr. Adams is survived by her husband, Larry Kirts, a son, a brother-in-law and dear friends.

She was preceded in death by a son and a brother.

In memory of Dr. Adams, contributions can be made to the ASU Foundation to fund scholarships in the College of Nursing.