To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the University of Alabama Graduate School selected 100 individuals from across campus as its Centennial Scholars.
Graduate School Centennial Scholars are defined as those with master’s or doctoral degrees who bring “distinction to UA’s graduate programs through their professional accomplishments.”
The following 15 individuals were chosen from the College of Education:
Frank Ashley
Dr. Frank Ashley recently stepped down from his role as interim dean and was appointed as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board at Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service. Frank previously served as the Bush School’s executive associate dean, agreeing in 2023 to stay on for another year until a new dean was appointed before retiring. Over 38 years with the Texas A&M University System, Frank has held numerous positions, working as a faculty member, associate dean and director of admissions before being named dean of the College of Education at Texas A&M University-Commerce. He also served as vice chancellor of academic affairs, vice chancellor for recruitment and diversity, and chief of staff for the A&M System. Frank earned his master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Alabama and was a 2021 inductee into the College’s Hall of Fame.
Mike Daria
Dr. Mike Daria is the superintendent of the Tuscaloosa City School District and was named State Superintendent of the Year by the School Superintendents of Alabama in 2023. He also received the AASA National School Superintendent Certification in 2020 and was named one of the 25 Superintendents to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association in 2017. Daria earned his Ed.D. in educational administration in 1995.
Mark Fleming
Mark Fleming is the owner and founder of Equally Fit, a personal training studio that specializes in working with people with autism and other disabilities. The gym, previously called Puzzle Piece Fitness, opened its first physical location in 2019 and offers functional fitness training that includes exercises to help improve motor planning, improve social skills, and balance. Fleming, a certified personal trainer who is on the spectrum himself, earned his master’s degree in human performance in 2017.
Kristi Garrett
Dr. Kristi Garrett is the CEO of Itsirk Solutions LLC as well as a Kettering Associate for the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, a nonpartisan, nonprofit, operating foundation rooted in the American tradition of inventive research. She is also the vice president of information technology for the NAACP. Garrett earned her doctorate in instructional leadership with a concentration on instructional technology in 2014.
Matt Green
Dr. Matt Green currently serves as associate dean and professor at the University of North Alabama, where he has worked for 16 years. He is associate dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences as well as an exercise science professor. Green holds a doctorate from UA in exercise physiology.
Jack Hawkins Jr.
As chancellor of Troy University, Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr. is the longest-serving chief executive officer of a public university in the U.S. He has overseen an era of change and growth at Troy, leading the merger of the worldwide Troy State University System into the unified Troy University through an initiative called “One Great University.” Hawkins earned his doctorate from the University in 1976.
Austin Lane
Dr. Austin Lane is the current chancellor of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, previously serving as president of Texas Southern University. In 2023, he was nominated and appointed to the NCAA Honors Committee where he will serve and support student athletes to be recognized for their academic accomplishments. Lane received the 100 Black Men of America “Rising Star” Award in 2022. He earned his Ed.D. in higher education in 2009.
Tina Langley
Tina Langley is the 12th head coach of the University of Washington women’s basketball team and will enter her fourth season as program leader in 2024-25. Since her arrival in 2021, she has showcased her transformative guidance skills by bringing the Huskies back into the national spotlight. Langley’s dedication has sparked historic change and new standard of excellence for the future. She earned her master’s degree in community counselor education in 2008.
Scott Lyons
Dr. Scott Lyons is a professor at the University of North Alabama where he teaches exercise science. He previously served as dean of the graduate school at Western Kentucky University, where he was also director of the School of Kinesiology, Recreation & Sport and associate dean for Research for the College of Health and Human Services. Lyons is an American College of Sports Medicine fellow as well as former editor-in-chief for the International Journal of Exercise Science. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and his doctorate from the University.
Eric Mackey
Dr. Eric Mackey has served as the Alabama State Superintendent of Education since 2018, where he works to build connections between education and external partners. He is currently a member of more than 30 boards, including the Southern Regional Education Board, Alabama Public School and College Authority, and Retirement Systems of Alabama. Mackey earned his Ed.D. in instructional leadership with a concentration in curriculum and instruction in 2001.
Alana Nichols
Alana Nichols is a five-time Paralympian, six-time medalist (three gold, two silver, and one bronze), and a spokesperson for Paralympic sports. After suffering a spinal cord injury at 17 while snowboarding, she quickly transitioned to adaptive sports, where she became a world-class athlete in alpine skiing, basketball and sprint kayaking. Nichols is the first American female to win gold medals at both summer and winter Olympic/Paralympic Games. She earned her master’s in kinesiology in 2008.
Brett Nickerson
Dr. Brett Nickerson is an associate professor in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Ohio State University, where his research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health. His professional and research interests include exercise physiology, body composition, obesity, as well as strength and conditioning. Nickerson earned his Ph.D. in exercise physiology from the Capstone in 2016.
Jim Purcell
Dr. Jim Purcell is the current executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, which he has led since April 2017. His combined tenure from Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Rhode Island makes him the longest-serving active state higher education executive officer in the country. He graduated with his Ed.D. in higher education in 1997.
Katrina Swain
Dr. Katrina Swain is the chair of nursing and an instructor at Lawson State Community College, one of the historically Black colleges and universities in Alabama. Under her leadership, Lawson’s nursing programs are regularly ranked in the best programs in the state and help meet crucial workforce demands in the medical field. Swain, who earned her Ed.D. in instructional leadership for nurse educators in 2012, also serves as treasurer for the Alabama Council of Administrators of Professional Nursing Education Programs.
Avis Williams
Dr. Avis Williams is the current superintendent of New Orleans Public Schools, and she is the first woman to serve permanently in the role. Her awards include the Marbury Technology Innovation Award by the Alabama State Department of Education in 2011 as principal and in 2019 as superintendent, the 2020 Alabama Black School Educators Superintendent of the Year, and being a 2019 finalist for Alabama State Superintendent of the Year. The National School Public Relations Association named her as one of its Superintendents to Watch in 2022, and UA awarded her the Dr. Harold L. Bishop Award for Leaders in 2021. She earned her Ed.D. in educational administration in 2009.