AUM Faculty & Staff
Directory
Derrick Smith
Dean | College of Education
Dr. Derrick Smith serves as a professor and Dean of the College of Education. He earned BS in Mathematics from Faulkner Unviersity, an M.A.Ed. in Special Education from UAB, and an Ed.D. in Special Education for Texas Tech University. Over this 25+ years in education, he has focused primarily on STEM education and research for students with visual impairments and blindness.
Faculty’s Expertise: Special Education, Visual Impairments and Blindness, STEM Education, Qualitative Research, Single-Subject Design Research
Jana Sparks
Associate Professor | College of Education
Dr. Jana’ Sparks joined the faculty following eighteen years in the public school system, during which she held roles as Principal, Assistant Principal at both the elementary and middle school levels, and Coordinator of the New Teacher Mentoring Program. Dr. Sparks has taught all of the Master’s and Educational Specialists level courses that provide opportunities for future leaders and instructional leaders to enhance their personal and professional career. She currently serves as the Program Coordinator for the Instructional Leadership department.
Faculty’s Expertise: Educational Leadership, Mentoring Programs, School Improvement, Innovative Leadership, Staff Development
Kevin Stewart
Student Services Administrative Associate
Kevin Stewart
Student Services Administrative Associate | College of Education
Tamela Thomas
Assistant Professor | College of Education
Dr. Tamela C. Thomas is an Assistant Professor of Instructional Leadership at Auburn University at Montgomery. Her research and teaching focus on action research in K-12 education, emotionally intelligent leadership, and women in educational leadership. She brings extensive K–12 teaching and leadership experience to her work with graduate students and school leaders.
Faculty’s Expertise: Instructional Leadership, Emotionally Intellect Leadership, Action Research in K-12, Women in Educational Leadership
Shanta Varma
Professor | College of Education
Dr. Shanta Goswami Varma is Professor of Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology at Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) and Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Distance Education & Collaborative Partnerships. With more than two decades of experience in online education, she has led initiatives in instructional technology, digital equity, and open educational resources (OER). Her leadership has expanded AUM’s online programs, strengthened faculty development, and advanced both domestic and international partnerships. Her research focuses on student engagement, digital literacy in marginalized communities, and the use of OER to promote access and retention in higher education.
Faculty’s Expertise: Distance Education, Instructional Technology, Digital Equity, Open Educational Resources (OER), Online Program Development, Faculty Development & Training, Global & Community Partnerships, Digital Literacy in Marginalized Communities, Student Engagement in Online Learning.
Andria Walker
Clinical Associate Professor | College of Education
Andria Walker is a Physical Education specialist with over 20 years teaching experience, including 8 years in K-12 education. She understands the importance of quality physical education programming in schools and desires to develop a love of daily physical activity in all learners. She serves as Faculty Advisor for the Kinesiology Majors Club and AUM Department of Kinesiology Fitness Test Coordinator.
Faculty’s Expertise: Physical Education, Kinesiology, Fitness Test, Physical Activity
Lei Wang
Assistant Professor | College of Education
Dr. Lei Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counselor, Leadership, & Technology at Auburn University at Montgomery. Her research focuses on instructional design, educational technology, and the integration of generative AI, virtual reality, and augmented reality into K–12 and higher education. She has developed validated assessment tools, such as the Learning Resources Rubric (LRR), to enhance learning resource evaluation and instructional practices. Dr. Wang also explores digital storytelling, civic education, open education, and global teacher competency as pathways to engage diverse learners and foster reflective thinking.
Faculty’s Expertise: Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Generative AI in Education, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Digital Storytelling, Civic Education, Assessment and Evaluation, Open Education,Teacher Education
Kara'n M. White
Senior Certification and Field Experience Manager
Kara'n M. White
Senior Certification and Field Experience Manager | College of Education
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