People at the CTL
Amy Hutson Chatham, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Teaching and Learning
Assistant Professor, Environmental Health Sciences
Director, UAB-AmeriCorps VISTA Statewide Program
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Amy approaches the UAB Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning position with a deep passion for fostering meaningful learning experiences and a commitment to faculty development. She holds a Doctorate in Health Education and Promotion, where her work and teaching have focused on enhancing engagement and comprehension in diverse learning environments.
Amy’s decades of teaching experience span various levels of education, from undergraduate and graduate programs to community-based education and K-12 instruction. Her classroom has been characterized by its inclusivity, fostering an environment where every student's unique perspective is valued and integrated into the learning process.
Beyond the classroom, Amy is an advocate for ongoing professional development among educators. While serving as the CTL Director, she will maintain her faculty appointment as an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, including leading the state-wide AmeriCorps VISTA program and community-based, CDC-funded research in the Black Belt region of Alabama.
Melissa W. Hawkins, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Internationalization
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Melissa has over two decades of experience in the fields of English language teaching and international education including university teaching in Belgium, Japan, and the United States. She also teaches in the UAB School of Education’s MA-TESOL program as an adjunct instructor. Melissa completed a Ph.D. in Educational Studies of Diverse Populations at UAB with an emphasis in Pedagogical Studies and TESOL. Her dissertation explored the unique role that international faculty and other intercultural individuals may have on university internationalization strategies. Melissa also has an Educational Specialist degree in ESL from UAB and a Master's degree in TESOL from the University of Alabama.
Her research interests include international faculty, intercultural identities, and the impact of university internationalization on teaching practices. Whether she is working with instructors, teachers-in-training, or students, she enjoys the privilege of getting to know people from all over the globe, helping to facilitate best practices in teaching and learning, and observing intercultural communication in action.
