Summer 2024

Dr. Lawson releases album ‘Tennessee River Shakedown’

Singer, songwriter capped his return to music in June with debut of collection of songs influenced by the Tennessee River region

In June, Head of the Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology, and Counseling Dr. Michael Lawson capped his return to music with the release his new album “Tennessee River Shakedown.” The album is an eclectic collection of songs influenced by the rich history of music that’s tied to the Tennessee River region.

Amid a period of transition following his divorce in 2019, Lawson made the decision to return to music after a 20 year hiatus and rebuild his life around it.

“It was exciting and scary,” said Lawson, associate professor of educational research. “There was a lot of rust to knock off, and I needed to find myself as a vocalist again.”

He had previously taken a break from the scene when the alternative rock band he co-fronted in Seattle disbanded in 1995. Before that, Lawson was an early member of a Seattle thrash metal group, which opened several times for another band in the area that included two of the founding members of Pearl Jam.

In 2020, Lawson was inspired to find a space to record some of his music. He reached out to Rodney Hall, owner of the legendary FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, and sent him a demo.

“I figured this may be the best time, because while the studios were open, they weren’t getting the same amount of tourism traffic because of the pandemic,” said the vocalist and songwriter.

Hall liked the demo, and soon, Lawson was recording his songs at FAME studios.

Prior to the pandemic, he became acquainted with the Muscle Shoals area while teaching weekend classes in Florence.

Muscle Shoals, which sits to the left of the Tennessee River, is known as the “Hit Recording Capital of the World” with FAME being the birthplace for the historic “Muscle Shoals Sound.” Established in 1959, it was the very first studio in the region to have a hit record, “You Better Move On” by Arthur Alexander in 1961.

Hanging above one of the studio entrances is a sign that reads, “Through these doors walk the finest Musicians, Songwriters, Artists, and Producers in the World.” For 65 years, artists have traveled to Muscle Shoals to record in FAME’s studio spaces – music legends like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and Clarence Carter; groups like Alabama, the Drive-By Truckers, and the Osmonds; current hitmakers like Alicia Keys and Demi Lovato; and many more.

“Every time I’m (in FAME), there is definitely a certain feeling about the place,” Lawson said. “You can feel the vibes of greatness that were created – it’s very humbling to be there.”

He recorded three EPs at FAME over the course of three years. When he began planning for his full-length album in late 2022, he asked Jimbo Hart, former bassist for Jason Isbell and the 400 Units, if he would be interested in producing it. To Lawson’s excitement, Hart said yes.

“It’s great to have someone actively working to identify what is at the core of these songs and how we can enhance those core elements to create something that will resonate with people,” Lawson said of his creative partner.

“Tennessee River Shakedown,” recorded in 2023, consists of 12 tracks that were recorded in two six-track sessions over the span of a week. The album features also musicians Justin Holder, Brad Kuhn, Jay Burgess, and Grammy award-winner Gary Nichols.

“Making a record is an intense amount of work, but I enjoyed it,” Lawson said. “It was a rare situation where I was using 100% of whatever faculties I have for 8-to-13-hour stretches. But being engaged and going into those states where everything flows – that’s what life is about. It was a hugely fulfilling experience.”

So far, Lawson has played shows in Florence, Ala., and Nashville, Tenn., in support of “Tennessee River Shakedown” with another gig scheduled for New Orleans in August. He plans to do more shows when his work at UA allows and said he feels that teaching in ways complements his music.

“Some people don’t do well multitasking,” he said. “But my experience has been that the more that I am actively engaged with, the better I do in each of those areas. … Anything that gets me active and energized in some sort of creative process will intersect and enhance other aspects of my life, both professional and otherwise.”

Since his record was released in June of this year, Lawson said his monthly Spotify listeners have climbed from less than 10 listeners in April to nearly 2,000 as of July.

“The battle is to get your music heard – and that is the goal,” he said. “It’s very difficult to get that listener engagement. If people like it, that’s great! But they can’t like it or dislike it if they don’t hear it.”

You can stream “Tennessee River Shakedown” as well as Lawson’s EPs on both Spotify and Apple Music. The album is also available to stream on his website at michaellawsonofficial.com where you can also find more information about upcoming shows.

Kinesiology instructor shares tips on increasing squat depth

Alyssa Parten featured in recent wellness article also detailing modification techniques

When it comes to mastering squats, the key to applying the proper technique and form is to have a wide range of motion. This helps you achieve the best results possible and is especially important for powerlifters and those incorporating resistance training into their exercise routines.

So, what should someone with limited mobility do if they want to work their way up (or down) to a deeper squat?

In a recent Well+Good article, Department of Kinesiology Instructor and PhD candidate at University of North Alabama Alyssa Parten offered her insight into how this can be achieved, even if the person has a limited range of motion. Parten's research specializes in strength training and substrate metabolism on female physiology and performance, and she also has a background in strength and conditioning as well as powerlifting.

“A lot of times, individuals who have different compensations can’t reach a very low squat and might do what we call a half or quarter squat,” Parten said. “They may need to incorporate different strategies in order to improve that functionality of movement and get more benefits, at least in the beginning.”

A complete or full-depth squat means a 90-degree bend in the knees with thighs parallel to the floor, and a deep squat goes even lower than that. Modifications can make it easier for anyone wanting to improve their range of motion while squatting.

Assessing whether hip or ankle mobility limitations are keeping someone from reaching the depth they want is vital for that person to know in the long run, Parten said.

“Figuring out where compensations are stemming from can help you know what to work on while utilizing these strategies so that you can eventually achieve a deeper squat without needing modification.”

For instance, someone with ankle limitations may find it helpful to elevate the heel in order improve squat depth, but by doing ankle mobility exercises in addition to modified squats, that person will eventually get to where they no longer need that assistance.

In the meantime, heel elevation can be done in several ways: by using a small weight plate to lift your heel or by wearing squat wedges. Power athletes might find it useful to wearing heel-elevated weightlifting shoes.

One negative aspect of using a plate to lift your heels, however, is that though the ball and heel of your foot are grounded, nothing is helping support the middle of your foot, Parten said. Anyone not conscious of this could end up straining their foot, so she advises anyone using this modification keep the weight plates as small as possible, maybe at 2.5-5 lbs., or switch to squat wedges.

“Another strategy I’ve used more frequently than the heel technique is by having people use a medicine ball to sit on,” Parten said. “By having something like that to help you feel the depth, you can better adapt and adjust, so it’s very helpful in training someone to know how low they should go.”

Holding a weight in front of your body is another technique that can help with squat depth and in building core strength.

“There are a lot of health benefits to resistance training. Just from a long-term health perspective, it has been proven to help reduce the rate of muscle loss after the age of 30,” Parten said. “No resistance training can drastically increase the rate at which you lose muscle mass, so that is a real issue when it comes to aging populations.”

Lack of muscle mass means the more you are likely to develop chronic diseases, which can lead to more serious diseases, but it also increases your risk for falls and osteoporosis, she said.

“The best thing that you can do is mimic these movements from your daily life but perhaps to a greater range of motion to help with muscle building, joint fluidity, all these different things because of how it affects you in everyday life,” Parten said.

Here are some basic movements that help with maintaining or improving muscle mass: squats, hinge movements, chest presses, pull movements, overhead presses, and loaded carries.

“These movements are fundamental to everyone from a longevity and performance standpoint and help really target the main joints and muscle groups of your body,” Parten said.

Getting Students Back to School and Re-engaged: What Districts Can Do

Dr. Greg Benner is set to host an EdWeek webinar alongside two district leaders from Tacoma Whole Child, a comprehensive and community-focused youth development strategy with a 12-year history, on August 8th between 1-2 PM CST.

More info here: https://www.edweek.org/events/webinar/getting-students-back-to-school-and-re-engaged-what-districts-can-do

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

COE alumna voted Rookie of the Year at Lipscomb Academy

College of Education alumna Sidney Sheppard was named 2024 Female Faculty Rookie of the Year by her peers at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville. This honor is school-wide, making it even more impressive as Lipscomb Academy is made up of three schools: the Seed School for prekindergarten students, Lower School for K-6th, and Upper School for 7th-12th.

This was Sheppard’s first year at the private school where she teaches Honors Algebra and Senior Statistics at the Upper School. She previously taught at two Nashville charter schools.

“I was honored that out of all the people at our different schools enough of my faculty members recognized my efforts and wanted to highlight me,” Sheppard said. “Everyone here has been really supportive.”

Being selected as Rookie of the Year not only shows the support she has from her fellow faculty members but represents the positive learning experience Sheppard provides in her classroom.

“(Sheppard) has quickly become a favorite amongst her students. Almost immediately, her students recognized not just her competency in teaching practice but also her ability to communicate her care and belief in students' ability to learn,” a post announcing her award on Lipscomb Academy’s Facebook page reads. “(She) is the kind of educator that students will remember and recall years down the road as someone who made a lasting impact in their life.”

In Sheppard's math classes, she works to incorporate real-world examples to make math more accessible to the students. She does this by giving them problems and statistics they can observe out in the world to pique their interest. For instance, she might take her class to a basketball court where they will log different points in a basketball’s arc. They then can see how that correlates to a quadratic function and model that with a graph.

“There will always be that student who says, ‘When am I going to use this?’ So, I try to have those types of examples in my back pocket,” she said.

Sheppard earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and master’s in secondary education, both at the University. She credits the UA Career Center with helping her realize she had a passion for teaching math and guiding her through the credit transfer process to earn her teaching certificate.

While at UA, Sheppard was on the Executive Board of the College of Education Ambassadors and involved in the renaming effort of Autherine Lucy Hall.

“That was very near and dear to our hearts, making that happen,” she said. “We walked through those doors every day, and that was something we could feel good about when we left.”

At the end of July, Sheppard will be attending Teachers Teaching with Technology, a professional development conference hosted by Texas Instruments in Dallas, Texas. She and about 200 other teachers were invited to attend after educators from across the country applied to participate.

“I'm very honored and excited to be accepted into this cohort,” Sheppard said. “They will train us in how we can integrate technology into math classes more fluidly. … I think that’s another way we can make math more accessible for kids and make it meaningful, especially for those students who are struggling.”

Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative closing reception

The Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative (GKSEI) closing ceremony was held at Smith Hall on June 27. Current program participants from both Alabama and India as well as GKSEI alumni, faculty, staff, and friends came together that evening to celebrate Cohort III and the transformative work of the exchange program. During the reception, GKSEI Academic Curriculum Director Dr. Lisa Matherson was presented with a keepsake in honor of her retirement. Cohort III members will see one another again soon when participants from Alabama travel to India in January 2025.

Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Alumni Spotlight: Jhamya Moton

Jhamya Moton is a psychology major with a concentration in kinesiology going into her junior year at Stillman College. Once she receives her bachelor's degree, she plans on earning her master’s in public health, possibly at the Capstone. GKSEI has not only impacted her on a personal level, she said, but opened her up to a broader vision on advocacy and public health support. Her time within the program has inspired her to do more in her community and emphasized the importance of leadership and implementing change. One of Moton’s recent research projects studied environmental issues in rural areas of Alabama, and this summer, she is participating in the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM and FuelAL internship programs. Moton is actively involved in the Center for Financial Advancement and Blacks in Government (BIG) leadership programs, Cintas and Department of Labor mentorship programs, and is a newly associated member of the Stillman NAACP Chapter.

Exercise science team places 2nd in national quiz bowl competition

Congratulations to the Department of Kinesiology's exercise science quiz bowl team for placing second in the the National American College of Sports Medicine Student Bowl last month!

We are proud of team members Alex Gruchot, Mitch Roussey, and Kelsi Wells as well as coaches and graduate students Annie Mulholland, Grant Malone, and Garrett Reuben for all their hard work!

The Jeopardy-style competition took place during the ACSM Annual Meeting in Boston. The team qualified for the national bowl by winning the Undergraduate Student Bowl in February at the annual meeting of the Southeast Chapter of the ACSM in Greenville, S.C.

Honors & Achievements

LaTara Turner awarded Rebecca Quattlebaum Endowed Scholarship for 2024-25

Graduate Admissions and Certification Coordinator LaTara Turner was awarded the Rebecca Quattlebaum Endowed Scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year.

The scholarship is managed by the National Alumni Association and was created by the Morgan County Alumni Chapter. It is given to graduate students from Alabama with a preference to first-generation students earning a master's degree in counseling.

Dr. Amanda Townley named executive director for National Center for Science Education

Former UA College of Education 40 Under 40 award recipient Dr. Amanda Townley has been selected as the National Center for Science Education's executive director.

Dr. Townley is an alumna of the College as well as an award-winning researcher and advocate specializing in science teacher education, evolution education research, and science literacy-focused public outreach. She previously served as associate professor of middle grades and secondary science education at Georgia Southern University in Savannah, Ga.

2024 New Faculty

Assistant Professor of Elementary Social Studies

Dr. Crista Banks

Dr. Crista Banks previously served as program coordinator of the EC-6 teacher certification program in the School of Education at the University of North Texas at Dallas, where she began teaching in 2021. There, she also taught courses in human development, classroom management, and introduction to teacher education. where she began teaching in 2021.

Clinical Assistant Professor of Higher Education

Dr. Paton Beck

Dr. Paton Beck began her role as a clinical assistant professor at The University of Alabama in 2023. She previously worked as a postdoctoral research associate in the Division of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and New Leadership Academy at the University of Utah from 2022-2023 as well as served as a part-time graduate research and teaching assistant here at UA from 2020-2022. She earned her doctorate in higher education/higher education administration from the University in 2022, previously receiving her master's in higher education/student affairs from University of Virginia and her bachelor's in international business/business management and Spanish from Berry College.

Assistant Professor of Qualitative Research

Dr. Carson Coogler

Dr. Carlson Coogler earned her doctorate in educational research with a focus on qualitative methodologies from UA this past spring. Prior to that, she received her master's degree in secondary education and English language arts from Samford University in 2017 as well as her bachelor's degree Summa Cum Laude in English literature with a pre-medical track biology minor in 2013. Since 2022, Coogler has served as a co-instructor in a variety of subjects at the University. She also has a background teaching K-12 at American Christian Academy in Tuscaloosa.

Professor of Special Education

Dr. Robin Ennis

Dr. Robin Ennis comes to UA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she served as associate professor and special education program director in the School of Education. Ennis earned her PhD in education/teaching of individuals with multiple disabilities from Georgia State University, her master’s in special education at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, and her bachelor's degree in secondary education, language arts from Birmingham-Southern College. She previously worked as a special education high school teacher in Hoover City Schools before going on to earn her doctoral degree at Georgia State University.

Assistant Professor of Educational Neuroscience

Eric Hernandez

Eric Hernandez began his role as instructor of psychology at UA in 2023 as well as instructor of health an behavioral sciences at University of Houston-Downtown. He is on track to complete his doctorate in curriculum and instruction in STEM education at UHCL. He earned master's degrees from University of Houston-Downtown and UHCL in data analytics and behavioral science respectively and his bachelor's in psychology from Lamar University. Previously, Hernandez worked as a psychology instructor at Lamar State College-Port Arthur, Lee College, and Lamar State College as well as programs coordinator in recreational sports at Lamar University.

Associate Professor of Educational Neuroscience

Dr. Lisa Hsin

Dr. Lisa Hsin previously worked as a senior researcher in education at American Institutes for Research (AIR) beginning in 2020. She also was an assistant professor of educational psychology/neuroscience at UA from 2016-2018 and completed two separate post-doctoral fellowships in the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Hsin earned her PhD and master's degree in cognitive science from John Hopkins University and her bachelor's degree in Spanish language and literature from Georgetown University.

Assistant Professor of Secondary Social Studies

Terrance Lewis

Terrance Lewis plans to finish his doctorate in general social studies education in August at Auburn University where he serves as a University Provost and Research Fellow and earned his master's in educational research, measurement, and evaluation this past spring. He received his bachelor's degree Summa Cum Laude in secondary education, social science/history from UA as well as possesses Master of Education degrees from Albany State University and Columbus State University in educational leadership and administration and social science education respectively. Lewis has a background teaching high school and middle school U.S. government, geography, and Georgia studies courses in Columbus, Ga.

Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership

Anne Moyer

Anne Moyer is on track to earn her doctorate in leadership and policy studies (K-12 education) from Vanderbilt Peabody College where she also served as a graduate research assistant. She received her master's degree in education policy (data analysis and research methods) from Columbia University and her bachelor's in urban studies (history) and economics. Moyer is a research affiliate with the Tennessee Education Research Alliance, the Michigan Education Research Institute, and the University of Houston Educational Research Center. She previously worked as the chief of staff for the London Director at Teach First in the U.K. as well as taught middle school social studies in Louisiana and literacy in Nashville, Tenn.

Assistant Research Professor of Special Education

Dr. Elizabeth Stewart

Dr. Elizabeth Stewart earned her doctorate in special education and teaching from UA, her master's degree in special education and teaching from UAB, and her bachelor's in special education from Auburn University. Prior to this position at the University, she served as assistant professor of special education and a part-time instructor at the University of West Georgia as well as an assistive technology specialist at United Ability. Stewart also worked as a part-time instructor and graduate research assistant at UA and part-time instructor at UAB in the past. She has a 12-year background as a special education teacher in Homewood City Schools in Birmingham.

COE students in need of assistance can apply for support here.

Announcements

Alumni Award and Hall of Fame nominations are now open

You may now send us your 2025 Alumni Awards and Hall of Fame nominations. The deadline for the Alumni Awards is Sept. 1 with the deadline for Hall of Fame nominations being Oct. 1.

More information about each can be found on the Hall of Fame and Alumni Awards guidelines pages.

Please send your nominations to rebecca.ballard@ua.edu or mail them to Box 870231, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 (Attn: Dr. Rebecca Ballard).

For additional information or if you have any questions, please contact Dr. Rebecca Ballard.

Upcoming Events

AUG. 31
Alabama vs. Western Kentucky

The Tide will face off against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in Bryant-Denny Stadium for its first game of the season.

Kickoff will be at 6 p.m.

SEPT. 2
Labor Day

UA closed, classes dismissed.

OCT. 25-26
Homecoming 2024

Alabama will take on the Missouri Tigers for Homecoming this year on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Homecoming festivities will kick off on the preceding Friday, Oct. 25. Registration and ticketing for events and programs will open early in the fall semester. Updates will be posted at homecoming.sa.ua.edu.

Student Deadlines

JULY 31
Classes End for Summer Full Term,
Summer 2, and All Summer

AUG. 21
Fall Full Term Classes Start

AUG. 29
Registration Begins for Fall 2

SEPT. 23
Fall 2 Classes Start

AUG. 1 & 2
Final Exams for Summer

For information on how to interpret the exam schedule and other final exam policies, click Final Exam Information.

AUG. 3
Summer Commencement

We will add College of Education ceremony information when it is made available. Until then, please visit Commencement website.

Have news or story ideas you want to share? We want to hear from you!
Email us at klsexton@ua.edu or rebecca.ballard@ua.edu.

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Visit the official College of Education website at education.ua.edu.