Staff/Contact

Contact Us
Mary Angela Coleman, PhD
Associate Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness
macoleman@southalabama.edu
(251) 460-7475
Dr. Mary Angela Coleman, Associate Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness, has been with the University of South Alabama since November 2013. A native of Wilmington, DE, she has held positions as a non-profit administrator, instructor of English, professor of educational research, and higher education administrator (click here for CV). She holds a B.A. in English from James Madison University, an M.A. in Creative Writing from Temple University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Research and Evaluation from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her research interests include the development and validation of assessments and identifying factors and best practices contributing to a healthy culture of assessment and continuous improvement in the university.

Naima Wells, MPA
Associate Director of University Assessment
nwells@southalabama.edu
(251) 461-1918

Naima Wells is a native Mobilian who has been with the University of South Alabama since 2013. Prior to joining the Office of Institutional Effectiveness in November 2018, she served as the Research Coordinator for the Center for Healthy Communities. Naima completed both her bachelors in psychology and Masters of Public Administration at Troy State University. Her interests are strategic planning and evaluating organizational effectiveness. 
Drew Whittington
Institutional Effectiveness Coordinator
ddwhittington@southalabama.edu
(251) 460-6340
Drew Whittington joined the Office of Institutional Effectiveness in August 2020, when he began as OIE’s graduate assistant. In September 2021, he joined the office full time as the Institutional Effectiveness Coordinator. Drew received his bachelor’s in psychology from USA in 2020 and is currently completing his master’s in psychology at USA, where he is actively engaged in research related to emerging adult development. Drew is an avid lover of data analytics, and his interests lie in utilizing evidence-based approaches to developing and analyzing instruments to be used for evaluation and improvement purposes.

Dana Abrams
Assessment Specialist
dabrams@southalabama.edu
(251) 460-7470

Dana Abrams is originally from Calvert, Alabama and joined the Office of Institutional Effectiveness in the Fall of 2022. Dana received her bachelors in Political Science with a minor in English and Masters of Public Administration at the University of South Alabama. Her research thesis work focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments across universities. She has formally served as an intern for the Office of Development and a graduate research assistant for the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice. She is currently an instructor for the PSC 130 course/Start South program.

Alison Wood
Institutional Effectiveness Specialist
alisonwood@southalabama.edu
(251) 460-6407

Alison Wood is originally from Pennsylvania and graduated from Temple University with a BA in History.  She began her career as a Museum Educator and Social Studies Teacher in Virginia before transitioning to university administrative support at Yale University.  After moving to Mobile in 2017, Alison worked in South's Department of History and the Academic Advising & Transfer Services office before joining the Institutional Effectiveness team.  Alison loves exploring the nature trails and beaches along the Gulf Coast and is an avid women's soccer fan who has attended three World Cups.