[6] Adkins competed her PhD in 1937 under the title “A Comparative Study of Methods of Selecting Test Items”.
[5] While completing her PhD Adkins began working as a psychometrics assistant examiner under Louis Leon Thurstone at the University of Chicago.
[4] Adkins' time as a psychometrics assistant examiner at the University of Chicago and research experience made her a desirable job candidate upon her graduation.
During this time, she received special assignments from the government to the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Georgia, and Thailand.
[2] After these assignments ended, she continued to serve as a member of the board of trustees as well as a representative on the Inner-Association Council on Test Reviewing for the Psychometric Society from 1969 to 1972.
[2] On the way back from a trip in 1968, Adkins stopped in Hawaii to visit friends and fell in love with the Islands.
While at the University of Hawaii, Adkins was made director of the Center for Research in Early Childhood Education.
[2] She was only able to stay in Hawaii until 1974, at which time complicated and ongoing medical conditions forced her to return home to the mainland U.S.[4] Gumpgookies was a method of assessing child motivation to achieve in school, which Adkins created along with Bonnie Baliff.
She applied factor analytic techniques in order to examine and better understand curriculum, program evaluation, and affect in children.
[9] A full list of her papers are held by the Archives of the History of American Psychology at the University of Akron.
She was known to take time to cook homemade meals/desserts or pick flowers from her garden to bring to friends who were ill. Adkins enjoyed travel, concerts, parties and games.
[2] In June 1974 Adkins retired from University of Hawaii to Plain City, Ohio, for medical reasons.