MOBILE, Ala. – The University of Mobile welcomes students back for fall semester 2021 with new faculty and staff hires.
The new employees were announced at the university’s annual Ignite Conference for faculty and staff to kick off the new semester. They are:
Dr. Todd Hicks, Professor of Nurse Anesthesiology and Director of the School of Nurse Anesthesia.
Dr. Hicks leads the new DNAP program, the first and only Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program in a four-state region. Most recently, Hicks served as assistant professor and associate pathway coordinator of the BSN-DNP Nurse Anesthesia Pathway at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In addition to his work at UAB, he is the Expert Clinical Sciences Lecturer for Valley Anesthesia Review, which is a nurse anesthesia board review course given multiple times per year across the country. He earned a Bachelor of Science in education from Auburn University and worked as a middle and high school teacher for three years, then returned to Auburn and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He worked as a critical care registered nurse, then earned a Master of Nurse Anesthesia from UAB and has worked as a clinical CRNA since completion of his anesthesia training. In 2015, he earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice from UAB.
Dr. Hunter Speeg, Assistant Professor of Nurse Anesthesiology and Associate Director of the School of Nurse Anesthesia
Dr. Hunter Speeg has more than 10 years of clinical experience, most recently as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, with previous experience as a critical care and medical-surgical nurse, in addition to case management and health education experience with Blue Cross Blue Shield. Speeg most recently served as an adjunct assistant professor within the BSN-DNP Nurse Anesthesia Pathway at the University of Alabama at Birmingham while maintaining a clinical anesthesia practice at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham.
Dr. Ashley Lindsey, Assistant Professor of Biology
Dr. Ashley Lindsey earned her Bachelor of Science from Spring Hill College and her doctorate in basic medical sciences from the University of South Alabama, concentrating on pulmonary infectious disease and vascular repair. She completed two postdoctoral fellowships: one at the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute focusing on lung cancer therapeutic development and one at the USA Laboratory for Infectious Diseases, focusing on viral vaccine and therapeutic development. She previously served as the licensing and market associate for the USA Department of Research and an adjunct professor of biology and chemistry at Spring Hill College. Lindsey currently serves as a board member for BIO Alabama and a member of the regional NSF I-Corps teaching team.
Susan Ling, Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Susan Ling earned her Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Lipscomb University and was awarded a Master of Science in applied mathematics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Ling has served as an assistant professor of mathematics for the Mobile campus of Faulkner University for the past 10 years. She also taught dual enrollment classes at Mobile Christian School and previously taught courses for Coastal Alabama Community College.
Beverly Collier, Instructor of Nursing
Beverly Collier earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UM and began her nursing career as a cardiac ICU nurse at Mobile Infirmary. She received her Master of Science in Nursing in December 2020 from UM.
Ashley Smith, Instructor of Nursing
Ashley Smith earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Mobile and has been a maternity nurse for the past 5 years. She was awarded the Master of Science in Nursing from UM in December 2020.
Heather Smith, Visiting Instructor of Kinesiology
Heather Smith earned her Master of Education in exercise science from the University of South Alabama and is a Certified Exercise Physiologist and Cancer Exercise Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine. Smith worked in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation for 20 years at Mobile Infirmary.
Payton Adams, Assistant Softball Coach
Payton Adams graduated from the University of Mobile in the Spring of 2021 and where she played softball under Coach Alison Sellers-Cook during her entire collegiate career at both the University of Mobile and, in her freshman season, at Spring Hill College. During her playing career with the Rams, Adams started all 132 games she played while recording a .317 batting average and .361 on-base percentage. She hit nine career home runs while driving in 70 total RBIs.
Kyle Friday, Assistant Baseball Coach
Kyle Friday played two seasons at Wallace Selma Community College and two seasons at the University of Mobile. At UM, he was a weekend starting pitcher for the Rams while also being tabbed as the designated hitter in games he did not pitch. In 2018 and 2019, Kyle was named to the SSAC Second-Team All-Conference team. He earned a conference gold glove award for the pitching position and was named to the SSAC All-Academic team both seasons. He graduated from UM in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and has spent the last two seasons as the graduate assistant for UM Baseball. He recently received a master’s degree in Physical Education from the University of West Alabama.
Meagan Hall, Assistant Cross-Country Coach
Meagan Hall spent five years as a thrower for the University of South Alabama Women’s Track and Field team. Hall graduated from USA in May 2018 with a degree in Exercise Science and received the Female Jaguar Athletic Fund Award. Prior to joining UM as a grad assistant, Meagan spent a year as an assistant track and field coach at Bayside Academy in Daphne, AL. She helped guide UM’s Women’s Track and Field team to win the SSAC Championship in Spring 2021 and assisted in leading Mobile to see their first-ever NAIA National Championship Qualifier in the women’s discus throw in 2021.
Sherry McWilliams, Assistant Beach Volleyball Coach
Sherry McWilliams played volleyball for the University of Mobile and, after graduating in 2017, moved to Hattiesburg to become the Head Volleyball Coach and Program Director at Oak Grove High School. There she led her team to be district champions from 2017-2020. She was nominated for the South Mississippi All Star Coach for Mississippi Association of Coaches.
Jared Baria, Campus Pastor
Jared Baria graduated from the University of Mobile with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2009, was a four-year starter for Baseball under Mike Jacobs, and was awarded the Elizabeth Flanagan Award for Christian Leadership in Nursing. He previously worked full time as a postoperative nurse in local hospitals and surgery centers. He was ordained into gospel ministry and served as associate pastor at Crawford Baptist Church.
Livy Collingsworth, Enrollment Counselor
Livy Collingsworth graduated from the University of Mobile in 2019 with a degree in Music Education. During her time as a student, Collingsworth was a member of the Voices of Mobile and traveled to Cuba, Romania, the UK, and had the opportunity to sing at Carnegie Hall in New York.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For more information about the University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
Zac Douglas is the marketing communications specialist for the University of Mobile. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in integrated marketing and communications. As marketing communications specialist, Zac is responsible for writing and strategizing content about the university, assisting with media relations, and handling other marketing and communications projects. He is an active member at Cottage Hill Baptist Church and enjoys spending his time surfing, skating and climbing.