As a prospective student or
a new student to the UA campus, we know that you need someone to actually talk
with so that you may get more detailed information. Here's a list of our
Graduate Ambassadors. Please feel free to contact them as you need; they will be
very happy to assist you.
Sarah Melton is currently a Graduate Council Fellow and is from Atlanta,
Georgia. She graduated from Emory University in 2006 with a B.A. in
Classical Civilization. She is currently working on a MA in American
Studies. She plans on pursuing a Ph.D. and entering the "wide, wild,
wonderful world of academia." Contact her at:
svmelton@bama.ua.edu.
Speech and Language Pathology
Leesa Alexander
is from Childersburg, Alabama. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Communicative Disorders in May 2008 from the
University of Alabama. She is now pursuing a master's degree in
Speech-Language Pathology. She can be contacted at
alexa013@bama.ua.edu.
Chemistry
Raluca Craciun
is a PhD student in Chemistry. She is from Iasi, Romania. She completed
her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 2002 from the Alexandru
Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, Romania and her master’s degree in 2004 from
the same university. She can be contacted at
craci002@bama.ua.edu
Chemistry
Heather Watsonis currently a NAA fellow pursuing a Ph.D. in
analytical chemistry. She taught high school chemistry for five years
after receiving a B.S. in chemistry from UA in 2002. She has lived in
Tuscaloosa for eleven years but is originally from Starkville, MS. She
is married to Brad Watson and has two beautiful daughters Emma (4) and
Sara Kate (2). Contact Heather via:
hlmwatson@yahoo.com
Speech Language Pathology
Lindsey Sharee Cook
is from Hayden, Alabama and is pursuing a Masters of Science degree in
Speech Language Pathology. She has always dreamed of attending The
University of Alabama and her past four years at this historical
institution have been more memorable. She looks forward to becoming an
alumni of the best school in the Southeast. Contact her via email at
Lscook@bama.ua.edu.
English
Donnie Jones is a Ph.D. student in English with a concentration in
African American/American literature. He is from Jackson, Mississippi
and is in his second year at UA. Contact Donnie at
djones94@bama.ua.edu.
Political Science
Paulina Pospieszna
is currently a Graduate Council Fellow, and is from Poland. She has been
at the University for four years and plans to graduate with a PhD degree
in Political Science in Summer 2009. She can be contacted at
pospi001@bama.ua.edu
English
Kedra L. James is from Itta Bena, Mississippi. She is in her second year
of pursuing a Ph.D. in English, with emphasis in Composition, Rhetoric,
and English Studies at UA. She plans to become an English professor and
later enter department and university administration, as well. Please
contact her via:
kljames1@bama.ua.edu.
English
Norman Golar earned his Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing at Knox
College in Galesburge, Illinois. Norman has earned his Master of Fine
Arts also in Creative Writing at the University of Alabama and is
currently pursuing his Ph.D. in English (Composition, Rhetoric, and
English Studies) at the same institution. He is a current scholar of the
Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Scholars program and a former
Ronald E. McNair scholar. He is originally from Chicago. Norman can be
reached at
norman.golar@ua.edu.
English
Rob Dixon is a Ph.D. student in English. Originally from Mississippi,
Rob has also lived in Boston, San Francisco, and here in Tuscaloosa. He
earned his B.A. in English at UMass Boston and his M.A. at UA. Rob plans
to teach English at the college level and pursue his research interests
in American literature. Rob can be reached at
dixon006@bama.ua.edu.
History
Angela Jill Cooley is a Ph.D. candidate in History at the University of
Alabama. She has been at the University for four years, is currently
working on a dissertation, and plans to graduate in June 2009. Upon
graduation, Jill plans to teach American and Southern history at the
university level. She can be contacted at
coole015@bama.ua.edu.
Mathematics
Brandon Ross Morgan is a native of Oxford, MS and a 2007 graduate of Alcorn
State University. He completed a Bachelor of Science degree in
mathematics from Alcorn State University and is currently a second year
graduate student working on a master’s degree in the Mathematics at the
University of Alabama. After completing the master’s program, he plans
to pursue a doctoral degree in mathematics and later become a professor
of mathematics at a university. Contact him via:
Brmorgan@bama.ua.edu.
Clinical Psychology-Law
Tess Neal is a PhD student in
Clinical Psychology-Law. She completed her undergraduate degree at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she majored in Psychology and
English. When she finishes graduate school, she would like to conduct
forensic evaluations for the court and also to teach other students in
the university setting. Contact her at
tmneal@bama.ua.edu.
Clinical Health Psychology
Courtney Worley is pursuing a PhD in Clinical Health Psychology. She
recently earned her MPH in Health Behavior from UAB. Contact Courtney
via:
cbworley@bama.ua.edu.
Clinical Geropsychology
Michelle M. Hilgeman is a pre-doctoral fellow in the Clinical
Geropsychology concentration in the Clinical Psychology program. She is
originally from Memphis, TN and graduated with a B.S. in psychology from
Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, AL. She earned her master’s
in psychology from UA in 2007 and currently works as a research
assistant at the Center for Mental Health and Aging. Contact Michelle
at:
hilge001@bama.ua.edu.
Emily Zeigler is a native of Birmingham, Alabama.
She completed her undergraduate in accounting at The University of
Alabama and is now in the Master’s of Accountancy program at the
Capstone. Emily is working toward becoming a Certified Public
Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner. She is a recipient of the
Graduate Council Fellowship. Contact Emily at
egzeigler@bama.ua.edu.
Terra D. Moody, a Birmingham, AL native, is a dually enrolled master’s
and Ph.D. student in Communication and Information Sciences. She
received her B.S. from the University of Montevallo in Mass
Communications. After receiving her Ph.D., Terra plans to pursue a
position in health communication and media education and develop
television programming for children and adolescents. Contact Terra via
Tmoody6@gmail.com.
Library and Information Studies
Elizabeth Laera is a native of Vestavia Hills, AL.
She received her B.A. in history from The University of Alabama in 2008
and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Library and Information
Studies. Elizabeth is a recipient of a National Alumni Association
License Tag Fellowship. A resident of Tuscaloosa for four years,
Elizabeth knows much about living and learning in Tuscaloosa. Please
contact her at
eclaera@gmail.com
Mass Communications
Carly T. McKenzie is pursuing her Ph.D. in Communication and Information
Sciences (Mass Communications). She is originally from Shreveport, LA
and now resides in Birmingham. She is currently exploring political
communication and aspires to remain in academia as a professor and
researcher. Contact Carly at
carlytmckenzie@gmail.com
Sarah Hartman is a Ph.D. student in Elementary
Education, with foci in Social Studies, Research, and Teacher Training.
Her career goals include working to further and more effectively
implement social studies into elementary classrooms and training new
teachers through their tenor years, in the hopes of reducing teacher
burn out. Outside of school, Sarah has 3 children and a husband. She
assists her husband with his duties as a youth minister and serves as
the Family Support Group Chairperson for her husband’s National Guard
unit. Sarah lives in Selma, AL, and is a 2008-2009 License Tag Alumni
Fellowship recipient. Ms. Hartman can be contacted via:
srhartman@bama.ua.edu.
Instructional Leadership
Maegan Slaten is a doctoral student from Somerville, Alabama pursuing a
Ph.D. in Instructional Leadership with an emphasis in Instructional
Technology. She graduated with her B.S. degree in Elementary Education
from the University of Alabama in December 2006 and with a master’s
degree in Elementary Education in May 2008 (both from The University of
Alabama). Currently a kindergarten teacher at Southview Elementary,
Maegan hopes to eventually teach future teachers how to integrate
technology into their elementary curriculum. She may be contacted at
slate005@bama.ua.edu.
Puneet Gill is a native of Tuscaloosa, AL and
is a doctoral student in Instructional Leadership, with an emphasis in
social and cultural studies. She graduated with a B.S. in Biology, M.A.
in Secondary Education and an Ed.S. in Secondary Science Education at
the University of Alabama. Puneet has taught in the city and county
schools and is currently working as a graduate assistant in the
department of instructional leadership. She hopes to remain in academia
as a professor/researcher. Contact Puneet at
gill002@bama.ua.edu.
Kinesiology
Peter David Jones
is a native of Prattville, AL. He graduated from the University of
Alabama in fall 2008 with his bachelor's degree in Sports and Fitness
Management. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Human
Performance. Upon graduation, he plans to further his education by
working toward a Ph.D. in Exercise Science.
School Psychology
Jenny Short is a doctoral student in School Psychology. Originally from
Germantown, Tennessee, she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
from Mississippi University for Women in December of 2002 and her Master
of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Western Kentucky University in
December of 2005. Jenny is currently serving as a Graduate Teaching
Assistant for two undergraduate Educational Psychology courses, and upon
completion of her doctorate, she aspires to secure employment as a
faculty member in a university setting. Jenny has been at UA since
August of 2005. Contact her at:
jenny.short@gmail.com
School Psychology
Sheena N. Jernigan is a second year Ed.S. major in School Psychology, from
Smyrna, Georgia. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology
from Clark Atlanta University in 2006. The recipient of the Graduate
Council Fellowship last year, Sheena is working towards assisting
children, primarily working in elementary schools. She is currently
working as a Graduate Assistant for the McNair Scholars Program and
helps to recruit interested students. As a past McNair Scholar, she
looks forward to assisting upcoming scholars with their research
interests, which will go up for publication next year. Contact her at:
Snjernigan@bama.ua.edu.
Secondary Curriculum and Instruction
Tammy Crawford Cook is a Ph.D. candidate whose major focus is Secondary
Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education. She will defend
her dissertation in the spring. Tammy lives in Scottsboro, Alabama, and
she taught high school English for ten years at Madison Academy in
Huntsville, Alabama. Her graduate assistantship at UA has allowed her to
teach teacher education courses and serve as copy editor for an online
scholarly journal. Contact Tammy via:
cook004@bama.ua.edu.
School Psychology
Brittany Bates is a doctoral student in UA’s school
psychology program. A native of Natchez, Mississippi, she earned her
B.S. degree in Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi in
December 2007. While at Southern Miss, she was a Ronald E. McNair
scholar. Currently Brittany is a McNair Graduate Fellow. Contact
Brittany at
bates.brit@gmail.com
Karen Torres
earned a B.S. and M.S. from the University of Alabama in Aerospace
Engineering and Mechanics. She is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Metallurgical
Engineering. Karen was selected to be a McNair Graduate Fellow. She is
from Arab, AL. Contact her via:
torre003@ua.edu.
Computer Science
Edward C. Dillon, Jr.
is from the
small town of Bogue Chitto, which is located in Southwest Mississippi.
He recently received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer and
Informational Science from the University of Mississippi. Currently, he
is pursuing a master’s degree in Computer Science at the Capstone, and
hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in his present field of study. Eventually,
Edward hopes to go into the computer science industry or continue
research toward the goal of becoming a professor. Contact him via:
ecdillon@ua.edu.
Materials Science and Engineering
Rupak Das earned a master's degree in Materials Science and
Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and is finishing up his
Ph.D. in the same field here in UA. Rupak is from Atlanta, Georgia and
is a recipient of 'The University of Alabama Graduate Council
Research/Creative Activity Fellowship' and serves as the 'Student
Internships' Public Relations Manager' in the Student Government
Association. Rupak can be contacted at
rdas1@bama.ua.edu.
Nancy Boyd Graves is a Montgomery, Alabama native and 2001 University of
Alabama graduate in Political Science. She is now pursuing a master’s
degree in Sports Management through the College of Human Environmental
Science (HES). She can be reached at
ncboyd@bama.ua.edu.
Rosemary Richardson is pursuing a master’s degree in Nursing Case
Management and an Ed.D. in Instructional Leadership with Nursing
Specialization. Her home town is Pensacola, Florida, and future career
goals are to become a Nursing Educator at the college or university
level. She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Public
Administration. Please contact her via:
rrichardson@bama.ua.edu.
Shani K. Collins is a Ph.D. student in Social Work, whose research
interests include: African-American women, health disparities, race,
class, and gender, feminism, and mental health. A native of Greenwood,
Mississippi, Ms. Collins is proud to have received a B.A. in English and
a M.A. in Africana Women’s Studies from two private, co-educational
HBCUs, Tougaloo College and Clark Atlanta University. Although she is an
extremely busy doctoral student, Shani also enjoys serving as the
Graduate Assistant for the Graduate School and as the Graduate
Ambassador Coordinator. Ms. Collins thoroughly enjoys meeting new
people, and would love to share her individual perspective on the
“graduate student experience” with you. Shani can be contacted via
skcollins@bama.ua.edu.
Kristy Goodman
is originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She graduated from The
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1994, with a Bachelor of
Social Work, (B.S.W.). In 2003, she graduated with a Master of Social
Work (M.S.W.) degree from The University of Alabama. She is also a
Licensed Graduate Social Worker, (LGSW). Kristy returned to the
University of Alabama in 2008, to pursue her Doctor of Philosophy
(Ph.D.) in Social Work. After graduation she plans to be a university
professor and researcher in the field of social work. Her area of
interest is adolescents. She would like to focus on protective factors
and how that leads to resiliency, and what social workers can do to
promote resiliency and reduce risk behaviors in adolescents. Contact
her via:
kgoodman2577@charter.net.