About

• 

  Julie M. Estis, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

  Executive Director, Academic Enhancement

  Julie M. Estis, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is Executive Director of Academic Enhancement at the University of South Alabama, with faculty appointment as Associate Professor of Speech-Language Pathology and joint appointment in Medical Education. She applies principles of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation to South’s ad hoc and longstanding initiatives to improve student learning and academic success and supports ongoing SACSCOC accreditation and strategic planning efforts.

  Dr. Estis is enthusiastic about leading the University of South Alabama’s new LevelUP: Uniquely Prepared for What Comes Next Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), a campus-wide initiative aimed at uniquely preparing students for what comes next. Through metacognitive reflections, students will synthesize connections among learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom as they look ahead and plan for their future. LevelUP provides enhanced opportunities for students to develop career readiness competencies that prepare them for life after their degree, as confident, ready, and capable members of the workforce or well-equipped graduate students.

   

• 

  Michelle A. Hale, Ph.D.

  Project Manager, Academic Enhancement

  Michelle A. Hale, Ph.D., is Project Manager of Academic Enhancement at the University of South Alabama.  She brings 25 years of instructional design and marketing communications experience to this new role and is thrilled to have joined South Alabama.  Dr. Hale is responsible for leading implementation of Canvas Portfolium to support the LevelUP QEP, developing course assets in Canvas, and managing marketing communications for the Office of Academic Enhancement and the LevelUP QEP.  She assists with the creation and delivery of professional development for faculty and staff, coordinates ongoing assessment of QEP outcomes by gathering data, and ensures compliance with assessment protocols.

  Dr. Hale previously served as Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor at The University of Alabama where she taught online graduate and undergraduate courses.  Her research has focused on cognition relative to technology-mediated learning, technology’s role in virtual collaboration, and social media as an element of a classroom or business plan. Prior to joining academia, she was responsible for or all marketing communications for the Embedded Systems Division of Siemens (formerly Mentor Graphics).  In that role, she was responsible for worldwide marketing teams and programs, and all associated deliverables.