Academic Assessment Committee Members

Carrie Adams, George A. Smathers Libraries

“Academic assessment is integral in education; it measures and promotes effectiveness in instruction and learning. Assessment allows us to not only identify where we are but also determine future directions for continuous improvement.” - Carrie Adams

Carrie D. Adams joined the University of Florida in 2021 as Program Director and Associate University Librarian for Borland Library; which supports faculty, students, staff, and clinicians of UF Health Jacksonville. She holds master’s degrees in Library and Information Science as well as Instructional Design and Technology. Her research interests include the impact of instructional design in libraries and educational technology for improving consumer health literacy.

Joslyn Ahlgren, College of Health and Human Performance

"There is good evidence in support of the role of assessments in deep learning and in retention of knowledge.  Creating fair, equitable, usable mechanisms to capture student learning is pivotal to helping students get the most of their courses and their programs." -Dr. Josyln Ahlgren

Dr. Ahlgren joined the University of Florida’s College of Health & Human Performance as a Lecturer in August of 2009. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from Kansas State University followed by her Doctorate from the Department of Physiological Sciences in UF’s College of Veterinary Medicine. As a student, Dr. Ahlgren studied the impacts of exercise on areas of the brain that control hemorrhagic shock. Now, as an Instructional Professor, Dr. Ahlgren spends the great majority of her time teaching rather than researching, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. And as the Undergraduate Coordinator in APK, she is heavily involved in curriculum development. 

Timothy Brophy, College of the Arts

Timothy S. Brophy is a Professor of Music Education at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (1974), a Master of Music Education from the University of Memphis (1994), and a PhD in Music Education from the University of Kentucky (1998). He began teaching music in public schools in 1974 and joined the faculty of the University of Florida in 2000. He served as the College of the Arts’ Assistant Dean for Research, Technology, Administrative Affairs from 2009-2011 and as the university’s inaugural Director of Institutional Assessment from 2011-2022. Dr. Brophy has received multiple awards and honors for his teaching and expertise in higher education and institutional effectiveness and assessment systems, including the Ashland Teacher Achievement Award (1996), a Disney American Teacher Award (1998), the Rotary Award for Teacher Excellence (1999), an Outstanding Dissertation in Music Education Award (2000), a University of Kentucky Hall of Fame Distinguished Alumnus Award (2005), the 2020 Carol A. Luthman Meritorious Service Award from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges, and the University of Florida Presidential Medallion (2022). His work in institutional assessment led the University of Florida to receive a 2020 Excellence in Assessment designation from the American Association of Colleges and Schools (AAC&U), the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), and the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA). He is a founding editor of the Journal of Assessment in Higher Education and has published over 40 articles and book chapters and produced 14 books, including the seminal text on assessment in music education, Assessing the Developing Child Musician (2000). Dr. Brophy is the founding chair of the International Symposia on Assessment in Music Education (ISAME, 2007-present), a founding convenor of the International Society of Music Education (ISME) Assessment Special Interest Group, and has conducted workshops and conference presentations on assessment and institutional accreditation throughout the United States, and in Australia, Canada, China, England, Greece, Holland, New Zealand, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, and Taiwan.

Lori Dassa, College of Education

"Assessment is an ideal process that allows us to reflect upon what we do.  It also gives us the opportunity and concrete data to help develop how we can make “what we do” more effective. Assessment helps us understand the strengths and weaknesses of our learners, programs and institutions." - Lori Dassa

Dr. Lori Dassa is the Director of Clinical Experiences and Partnerships for the College of Education at the University of Florida.  She currently maintains collaborative relationships with partner schools and community agencies, acts as a representative for clinical opportunities, evaluates college data and develops/conducts Clinical Education and Supervision Training sessions. As a Clinical Faculty member, her research focuses on examining the past, present and future of teacher candidates, and her publications support these areas. The purpose is to ensure beginning teacher success in the classroom through solid teacher preparation training pipelining to teacher retention. 

Megan Forbes, English Language Institute

Megan Forbes holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and Policy from the University of Florida, an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction (ESOL) from UF, and a B.A. in English and Government from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. She has served as Director of the UF ELI since 2004, and has been engaged in the field of teaching intensive English at the university level since 1995. She first joined the UF ELI family as a conversation partner in 1994 and then began teaching in the program in 1995. In addition to teaching at the ELI, she has held the positions of Interaction Leader (Language Assistant), Assistant Activities Coordinator, Student Life Advisor, Listening/Speaking Coordinator, and Cultural Immersion Program Coordinator.  She has served twice as Chair of the Florida Intensive English Consortium (FIEC) and was the 2018-19 President of UCIEP.  In addition to other world travels, she has lived in Jamaica, the Yemen Arab Republic, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Switzerland. She enjoys every minute she spends at the ELI and the University of Florida and is proud to be a Florida Gator!

Ifigeneia Giannadaki, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

"I am excited to have been appointed to the Academic Assessment Committee. I am looking forward to working with the other committee members over the review of Academic Learning Compacts and Student Learning Outcomes in an extremely wide range of programs (undergraduate, graduate, professional and certificate academic programs) at the University of Florida." - Ifigeneia Giannadaki

Dr. Ifigeneia Giannadaki is Assistant Professor in Classics and serves as the Cassas Chair in Greek Studies at the University of Florida (Department of Classics and Center for Greek Studies). She was educated in Greece (University of Crete) and the UK (University College London) and has taught in several HE institutions in Greece and the UK before moving to the US. Her research interests lie in ancient Greek law, legal and socio-political history, rhetoric and politics. She is the author of A Commentary on Demosthenes, Against Androtion (2020, Oxford University Press) and co-editor of a collective volume on Use and Abuse of Law in the Athenian Courts (2018, Brill). Her published work ranges from Greek oratory and rhetoric to political and constitutional matters, ancient politics and democratic procedures. Her teaching spans Attic Oratory, Greek history, Demosthenes, Athenian democracy, Democracy in Theory and Action, Ancient Greek, and Modern Greek languages.

Alisa Hanson, College of Education

Alisa Hanson, Ed.D. is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies and the program coordinator for Teach Well. Teach Well is an advanced online degree in special education that prepares teachers to work with students with disabilities in inclusive settings. Currently, Dr. Hanson teaches graduate courses in the Teach Well and Dyslexia Graduate Certificate programs and supervises preservice teachers during their final internship experience. Before entering higher education, Dr. Hanson spent 18 years as a P-12 special education teacher serving students and families in various settings.

Dr. Hanson’s professional focus is on teacher education, mentoring, literacy development, and reading instruction and remediation. She has provided local professional development to practitioners and presented at regional and national conferences.

Morgan Rich, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Morgan Rich is the Assistant Director of the Center for European Studies at the University of Florida. She holds a Ph.D. in Historical Musicology from the University of Florida (2016), M.M. in Musicology from Bowling Green State University (2008), and a B.S. in Music History and Literature from Indiana State University. She is also a Research Ambassador for DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, German Academic Exchange Service).

Judi Schack-Dugre, College of Public Health and Health Professions

“Ongoing academic assessment is vital to any educational endeavor to identify if the learner is learning what is intended. One measure of assessment is developing clear expectations so the learner understands what they are to learn by engaging in the learning activities and the outcome can be objectified. Once analyzed, assessment results are a means of support for programs and students to optimize learning and student success.” - Judi Schack-Dugre

Judi Schack-Dugre is the Director of Clinical Education for the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. She has an extensive background in university service. Her professional experience includes being a clinician, a business owner/administrator, academic administrator, and educator. She has developed two online degree programs at the master’s and Doctoral level and brought them through regional accreditation. She holds a bachelor’s and Doctorate degree in physical therapy, Masters’ degree in business administration (Executive curriculum) and doctorate degree in education. She is a Distinguished Scholar Fellow with the National Academies of Practice. Her research includes topics in online education and clinical education.

Richard Scholtz, College of Agricultural & Life Sciences

Dr. Richard V. Scholtz, III is a Senior Lecturer in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department. Richard has taught a wide variety of lecture and laboratory engineering courses at the upper-division and graduate level. His teaching responsibilities are split between the Biological Engineering (BE) and Agricultural Operations Management (AOM) programs, teaching 8 courses annually.

Lauren Solberg, College of Medicine

Professor Solberg is the Director of the Program in Bioethics, Law and Medical Professionalism. She teaches medical students, graduate and undergraduate students, and other learners about issues in clinical and research ethics. Professor Solberg leads the Medical Ethics and Law track in the MD program that enables students to engage in a more in-depth study of bioethics and law, and she directs the Clinical Ethics, Law, and Professionalism thread in the MD curriculum. Professor Solberg conducts much of her research on bioethics education, and she has received funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation to develop, implement, and evaluate these education programs. She has also written and presented extensively about the ethical and regulatory considerations when using social media to conduct research.

Professor Solberg is the co-chair of the university’s Professional Curriculum Committee, which consider all requests for changes in professional curricula, and for the addition of new professional courses of instruction in any of the colleges, divisions, and schools of the University. She is also a member of the university’s General Education Committee and Intercollegiate Athletics Committee, and a long-time liaison on the University Curriculum Committee.

Michelle Tillander, College of the Arts

“Arts assessment for me suggests that appropriate ways of prioritizing assessment purposes include student arts learning, a balance of art activities, reflection, and dialogue. What dynamically impacts my approach to assessment and use of assessment in arts learning are a consideration of skill sets (physical, cognitive, and social), the curriculum, the oftentimes spontaneous responses in the art room, and school culture that harnesses creativity and diversity, as well as a critical understanding of how knowledge is constructed— that is how we come to know.” Michelle Tillander 

Michelle Tillander is an Associate Professor in the School of Art and Art History and an affiliate faculty in the Center for Arts and Medicine. She earned her MFA from Old Dominion/Norfolk University and her PhD from Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Tillander is an artist/art educator specializing in engaging art education, technology, and culture as integrated processes and approaches to expand art educational technology practice. Conceptualizing, creating and implementing are her passions as exemplified with the creation of the online UF MA in Art Education in 2009. Dr. Tillander worked with Pinellas County Schools five-year DOE grant Elevate A. R. T. S. (Arts Relationships Technology Steam, 2014). Current research projects include Visual Knowledge Building: Art Instruction to Develop Analytic and Critical Thinking in a Veterinary Medical Curriculum. She has several upcoming chapters “Explorations for Decolonizing the Curriculum in Regard to Technology (2023)” and “Running the Numbers: Rich and Dense Everydayness Stories with Data (2024).”