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| Members of the Office of Accreditation and Planning, from left, are Melisa Pierce, M.P.A.; David Williams, Ph.D., M.P.A.; Angie O'Neal, M.Ed.; Timothy Gilbert, Ed.D.; Breland Walley; and Russell Cantrell, MSCIS, M.B.A. |
Under the leadership of Associate Dean Timothy Gilbert, Ed.D., the OAP team strives to align the college's goals with the evolving landscape of medical education. This commitment to planning ensures the unique needs of students, faculty, and the community are addressed. The team includes David S. Williams, Ph.D., M.P.A., assistant dean of institutional and academic success; Melisa Pierce, M.P.A., director of quality improvement; Russell W. Cantrell, MSCIS, M.B.A., director of data administration and strategic initiatives; Angie O'Neal, M.Ed., director of learning support services; and Breland Walley, administrative support.
Williams is key in advancing medical education beyond the University of South Alabama campus. He was recently appointed to serve on the steering committee for the Medical Education Learning Specialists (MELS) organization, representing the Southern region of medical schools and contributing to regional and national strategic directives. Additionally, he's on the Accreditation Preparation and Quality Improvement (APQI) inaugural annual conference committee, shaping the discourse on defining scholarship in accreditation and quality improvement. Williams, alongside four other faculty and administrators across the University, completed the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ Institute on ePortfolios, for institutional adaptation of ePortfolios as a high-impact practice to support USA’s LevelUP Quality Enhancement Plan. He also collaborated on an Association of American Medical Colleges’ Holistic Student Support community research study with T.J. Hundley, M.D., on pre-module checklist processes for course improvement.
Pierce contributes her expertise to discussions on various topics related to medical education practices. For example, she is a panelist for the monthly Central Group on Education Affairs webinar series on course evaluation and grade reporting, and student feedback initiatives. In May, she will present at the APQI national conference on the topic of enhancing medical education course evaluation. She is also collaborating with two other medical colleges to present on closing the loop on student feedback. Through her participation in these webinars and conferences, Pierce collaborates with educators and leaders nationwide to drive innovation and improvement in medical education practices.
Cantrell advocates for data literacy and proficiency and is an active community member of Tableau, a data visualization software company. He is a Tableau Academic Ambassador and a featured speaker at the upcoming Tableau Conference 2024. He was selected as a national data visualization competition judge, exemplifying his dedication to advancing data visualization. Collaborating with colleagues at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, he has also shown how Tableau can enhance data visualization and quality improvement initiatives.
Additionally, Williams, Pierce and Cantrell will present their work at the APQI annual conference, discussing “Advancing Accreditation: Integrative Heatmap Strategies for Enhanced Continuous Quality Improvement in Medical Education.”
O’Neal empowers students through workshops and programs, fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing in medical education nationwide. She volunteers on the MELS conference planning committee and as a peer reviewer for APQI conference proposals. She collaborates on presentations with faculty and staff from various medical schools, promoting student-centric innovation beyond the Whiddon College of Medicine.
