AUM Faculty & Staff
Directory
Ashley Brown
Assistant Professor | College of Education
Dr. Ashley B. Brown, a native of Montgomery, AL, earned a BA in Psychology, an M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Auburn University. She is an Associate Licensed Counselor and a National Certified Counselor. Her research interests include multiculturalism, emotional intelligence, leadership, and career exploration.
Faculty’s Expertise: Multiculturalism, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, and Career Exploration
Eric Darch
Associate Professor | College of Education
Dr. Eric Darch has over 20 years of Title 1 public school experience serving as a teacher and school counselor within all grades PK-12. He is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) and a Nationally Certified School Counselor (NCSC). His professional interests include: the role of the school counselor, children and adolescents, ethics in school counseling, translating research to practice in the school setting, behavior management, and multicultural and linguistically diverse students. He has several publications and has presented on these topics.
Faculty’s Expertise: School Counseling, Counselor Ethics, Children and Adolescents, Behavior Management
Yuh Guo
Associate Professor | College of Education
Dr. Yuh-Jen Guo has been a counselor educator since 2008. He graduated from Auburn University and have worked and taught in several states. He is a licensed professional counselor and registered play therapist.
Faculty’s Expertise: Stress, Trauma, Crisis Counseling, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Counselor training, Clinical supervision
Timothy Lewis
Associate Professor | College of Education
Dr. Timothy Lewis is an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Instructional Technology at Auburn University at Montgomery. He specializes in instructional design, educational technology integration, and accreditation processes, with a focus on preparing future-ready educators and leaders. His work bridges higher education, K–12 schools, and professional training, aligning technology initiatives with national and state standards. Dr. Lewis is also engaged in curriculum innovation, accreditation support, and professional development across diverse educational and training contexts.
Faculty’s Expertise: Instructional Technology, Educational Leadership, Accreditation (CAEP, SACSCOC), Instructional Design, Curriculum Development, Digital Learning, Teacher Preparation, Professional Development, Learning Futures, Educational Standards Alignment (ISTE, IBSTPI, AECT, ATD)
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
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.
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
