Photo by Andrea Mabry, UAB Marketing and CommunicationsCongratulations to the 20 faculty and staff leaders seeking to grow and contribute more to UAB who were selected for the latest cohort of UAB’s Blaze Leadership Academy, which launched Sept. 5. The academy is designed to prepare high-potential faculty and staff for senior leadership opportunities and become the stewards of UAB’s future.
“Growing your career at UAB is built on continuous learning and constantly developing skills to help you move forward,” said Susan Coan, executive director of Learning and Development, which operates Blaze Leadership Academy. “We are looking forward to working with this talented group over the coming nine months as they develop foundational skills and new mindsets to lead and manage effectively in a complex, changing environment.”
Organizational Development Specialist Amber Anderson Grant explains that Blaze Leadership Academy includes developmental assessments, opportunities to develop relationships with colleagues across UAB, and content centered on UAB’s Shared Values and leadership expectations. “Each year, we are so excited to get to work with a new cohort of high-potential employees and help them grow and learn,” Grant said.
Benefits of the program include exposure and access to senior leaders, shared learning and peer support, as well as personalized coaching.
Blaze Leadership Academy 2025–2026 Cohort
Kristy (Kristina) Barlow
Director, Student Services
Graduate School
Raj Boddupalli
Information Systems Manager II
School of Public Health
Mamie Coats, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Program Co-Director, Biomedical and Health Sciences
School of Health Professions
Jewell Dickson-Clayton, OTD
Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy
School of Health Professions
Tiffany Ervin, DNP
Instructor and Interim BSN Pathway Director
School of Nursing
Charlotte Ford
Manager, HR Training and Operations
Human Resources
Jennifer Griffin
Director, Student Involvement & Leadership
Office of Student Affairs
Kate Harris
Director, Prospect Research and Management
Office of Advancement
Chandni Khadka
Project Director, Strategic Initiatives
Office of the President
Haley Nolen
Program Director, UAB Collat Professional Education
Collat School of Business
Nicole Otero
Program Director II
Heersink School of Medicine
Barbara Perry
Brand and Licensing Director
Office of Marketing and Communications
Matthew Phillips
Director, Clinical Placement
School of Nursing
Bill Reed, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Physical Therapy
School of Health Professions
Jeff Steele
Business Manager, Department of Biology
College of Arts and Sciences
Lee Stone
Executive Director, Environmental Health and Safety
UAB Facilities
Lauren Tarpley McGibboney
Associate Director, Office of Institutional Review Board for Human Use
Office of Research
Walter Ward, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of History
College of Arts and Sciences
Amanda Watts
Director, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
Office of Research
Ping Zhang, DDS, Ph.D.
Professor and Director of Research, Department of Pediatric Dentistry
School of Dentistry