Angela Sullivan, PhD, MS, has been appointed to the position of Assistant Dean for Student and Academic Services in the School of Public Health Dean’s Office effective October 1st, 2024. The newly established position of Assistant Dean for Student and Academic Services reflects the goals and priorities of the school's forthcoming strategic plan, which includes attracting and supporting outstanding students who will learn, grow, excel and contribute to the mission of the school.
Sullivan has served as the school's inaugural Assistant Dean for Admissions and Enrollment Management since September 2023, bringing with her more than two decades of experience in student affairs, admissions and enrollment management. During her tenure as Assistant Dean for Admissions and Enrollment Management, Sullivan has led efforts to restructure the admissions and scholarship processes, reducing time to application decisions and awarding of scholarships and hiring seasoned admissions and enrollment management expert, Amanda Bosque, to serve as the inaugural Director of Admissions for the School. In addition to these efforts, Sullivan has worked with the school’s recruitment team on a strategic recruitment plan that includes new target audiences and is working collaboratively with program directors to enhance web presence from academic departments to streamline application timelines, and more.
“The school is especially fortunate to have Dr. Sullivan as a leader in student affairs,” said Greg Pavela, PhD, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Public Health. “Her professional experience and commitment to exceptional holistic student services will be instrumental to the school’s ability to serve a changing student population that includes more part-time and online students.”
In her new role, Sullivan plans to build upon these initiatives, including providing training opportunities and developing resources for the school's faculty, such as addressing yield (the percent of admitted applicants who ultimately enroll), holistic advising and more. She also aims to focus on initiatives related not only to the Office of Student and Academic Services support directly to students, but to the support of faculty, including department chairs and faculty program directors, as they develop departmental recruitment plans, admissions committees and procedures, and opportunities to enhance the student experience in the School of Public Health.
The position of Assistant Dean of Student and Academic Services aligns the administrative structure of the Office of Student and Academic Services (OSAS) with other offices in the school, with each office having an Associate Dean and an Assistant Dean. The updated organizational structure also recognizes the breadth of responsibilities held by Sullivan in academic and student affairs, including curriculum planning and oversight, accreditation, catalog maintenance, recruitment, admissions, orientation, scholarships and student conduct.
Sullivan is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Behavior. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice, and a PhD in Health Education/Health Promotion. She teaches graduate courses in community assessment, suicide prevention and research methods in the behavioral sciences. Sullivan serves as the Board President for the Alabama Suicide Prevention and Resources Coalition (ASPARC), serves on the State and Territorial Advisory Committee for the national Suicide Prevention and Resource Center (SPRC) and is an advisory board member for the Project Zero Suicide Oversight Consortium. Additionally, she serves on several university-wide committees, such as the Retention and Graduation Committee and the UAB CARES Suicide Prevention Initiative.