Academic Support Office of the Provost

Meet our Staff

  1. About Us
  2. Meet our Staff

Meet the Academic Support Staff

Staff and student employees in Academic Support work to build positive, approachable, and cooperative learning environments. We desire to help all students feel valued, included, and empowered while earning their degree at Auburn University. Through carefully designed programs we seek to normalize students’ help-seeking behaviors and encourage students to approach problems in new ways. We believe these carefully designed experiences support students’ efforts to maximize their learning while at AU and beyond. For assistance, please call (334) 844-5972 or email academic_support@auburn.edu.

Headshot of Samantha Ansley

Samantha Ansley, M.Ed., LPC

(she/her/hers)

Coordinator, Academic Coaching

  • Hometown: Los Gatos, California
  • Advice to AU students: Be proactive in connecting to resources on campus and try them out as often as possible until you find what works for you. Then keep trying because sometimes what works best can change.
  • Study tip: My quick study tip is to set start dates for yourself. Students may focus so much on deadlines and due dates that they forget to start. Set yourself up for success by using starting dates for assignments, papers, and test prep.
  • Favorite lunch spot: Niffer’s. Auburn classic.
Contact Samantha with questions about the Academic Coaching program.
Headshot of Dr. Ashley Carr

Ashley Christine Carr, Ph.D.

(she/her/hers)

Assistant Director for Course Support

  • Hometown: Athens, Georgia
  • Advice to AU students: Pay attention to your health and check out the many support services available to you to keep your mind, body, and spirit sound.
  • Favorite study spot: A Supplemental Instruction session! SI is informed by learning theory that tells us that social interaction and collaboration are critical to learning. An SI session provides the opportunity to grapple with and make meaning of difficult content alongside and with the support of peers.
  • Favorite thing about Auburn: The incredible commitment I see Auburn students making to serve, lead, and do quality work is my favorite thing about Auburn.
Contact Dr. Carr with questions about course support programs, embedded support, and outreach programming
Headshot of Sandy Mason

Sandy Mason

(she/her/hers)

Administrative Associate II

  • Hometown: Reeltown, Alabama
  • Favorite thing about AU: I absolutely love the atmosphere! Always a smiling face or a friendly WAR EAGLE.
  • Study tip: Stick to a routine, efficient study schedule.
  • Advice to AU Students: If you are taking 12 credit hours, you should plan to spend 24 hours a week on homework. Twelve hours of class time, plus 24 hours of homework time equals 36 hours devoted to school each week. This is the equivalent of a full-time job!
  • Favorite lunch spot: Jimmy John’s
Contact Sandy with questions about student employment paperwork and e-bill charges.
Headshot of Jaime Miller

Jaime Miller, M.Ed.

(she/her/hers)

Director, Student Academic Support

  • Hometown: Spartanburg, South Carolina
  • Favorite thing about Auburn University: I love the community of students, faculty, staff, and advisors at AU.
  • Study tip: Take 10 minutes immediately after class to review your notes and identify gaps in your understanding of the course content. Meet with your professor and peers in the class to gain clarification. Use the resources available to you throughout the entire semester.
  • Favorite lunch spots: Little Italy and Chicken Salad Chick
Contact Jaime with questions about Academic Support programs and services. 
Headshot of JIllian

Jillian Rager

(she/her/hers)

Coordinator, Course Support

  • Hometown: Trussville, AL
  • Advice to AU students: Get involved on campus! The skills you learn through involvement rounds out your academic knowledge. If you aren’t sure where to start, try joining one organization related to your major/career, and one organization related to a hobby or interest.
  • Study tip: Recognize that learning can be messy. It is a process of persistence and practice. Allow yourself the space and time to learn through prioritizing studying and using resources early and often.
  • Favorite lunch spots: Amsterdam Cafe and Hey Day Market
Contact Jillian with questions about the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program and embedded Course Support programs.
Headshot of Allison Stadler

Allison Stadler, M.Ed.

(she/her/hers)

Coordinator, Course Support

  • Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
  • Advice to AU students: Recognize that you are the expert on you. Avoid choosing classes, majors, and experiences just because “everyone” seems to be making those choices. Explore unique paths that are going to help you grow as a person and as a professional.
  • Study tip: Create your own test questions while reading through the material. Going over your notes and textbook through this lens will help you identify what a professor may ask on an exam.
  • Favorite lunch spots: Momma Goldberg’s or Big Blue Bagel
Contact Allison with questions about the Study Partners Peer Tutoring program or the Study Smart program. 

Meet the Main Office Graduate Student Employees

For assistance, please email academic_support@auburn.edu or call (334) 844-5972.

Headshot of Lauren Donnelly

Lauren Donnelly

(she/her/hers)

Graduate Assistant, Course Support

  • Hometown: Baltimore, MD
  • Favorite thing about Auburn University: The community! Auburn feels like home to me.
  • My advice to Auburn University students: Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Try new things and meet new people! Growth and comfort will rarely co-exist.
  • Study Tip: Integrate specific hours to study and review notes into your calendar for each class every week. When it’s time to study for the big test – you will already know most of the content needed for the exam!
  • My favorite lunch spots: Chicken Salad Chick & Amsterdam Food Truck
Headshot of Keeley Leisure

Keeley Leisure

(she/her/hers)

Graduate Assistant, Strategic Data Analysis

  • Hometown: Talladega, AL
  • Favorite thing about Auburn University: There are so many wonderful things about Auburn, but my favorites are the beautiful campus and the Auburn Spirit.
  • My advice to Auburn University students: Attend class and always carry an umbrella!
  • Study Tip: Evaluate the study tools that are most helpful to your learning style, and implement those techniques into your study routine. Flashcards and mnemonics might work well to memorize information, while working through a problem might be necessary increase application proficiency. Find what works for you!
  • My favorite lunch spots: Little Italy and Chick-fil-A

Meet the Main Office Undergraduate Student Employees

For assistance, please email academic_support@auburn.edu or call (334) 844-5972.

Aubie at teaching at a whiteboard

Sarah Bailey

(she/her/hers)

Front Desk Representative

  • Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
  • Favorite thing about Auburn University: The campus and the city! It is always a pleasure to be on campus and interact with the people here. Auburn has the perfect mix of a college and small town feel to me.
  • My advice to Auburn University students: Don’t sweat the small stuff. If you don’t make the grade you wanted on a quiz, remember that you can improve your study habits to make a better grade next time. Try not to let anything bring you down so that you can focus on important things. What’s past is past and you can always move forward!
  • Study Tip: Rewrite your notes. It is so much easier to recall information when you have interacted with it multiple times. When you rewrite notes, you can also focus more heavily on the information than you did when you were taking the notes.
  • My favorite lunch spots: Taco Mama or Fuzzy’s
Aubie at teaching at a whiteboard

Elena Gagliano

(she/her/hers)

Front Desk Representative

  • Hometown: Birmingham, AL
  • Favorite thing about Auburn University: It’s so beautiful. Even when it’s raining and gloomy, I enjoy being on campus!
  • My advice to Auburn University students: Get involved. Joining clubs and meeting new people are key to a good experience at Auburn.
  • Study Tip: Do your readings beforehand! Studying is so much easier if you’re reviewing the information and not learning it for the first time.
  • My favorite lunch spots: Little Italy and Panera
Aubie at teaching at a whiteboard

Kylie Moczynski

(she/her/hers)

Front Desk Representative

  • Hometown: Gulf Shores, AL
  • Favorite thing about Auburn University: The community! Auburn University has such a welcoming community and it makes you feel right at home.
  • My advice to Auburn University students:Don’t forget how smart you are! There are going to be challenging classes and impossible assignments, but be confident in your ability to tackle anything. Always remember that you deserve to be here!
  • Study Tip:Visual aids! Drawing, coloring, creating diagrams and webs are a great way to visualize what you’ve been learning. It’s a fun and creative way to take the words within your textbook and look at them differently.
  • My favorite lunch spots: My favorite lunch spots are Panera Bread and Good Karma
Aubie at teaching at a whiteboard

Meghan Stone

(she/her/hers)

Front Desk Representative

  • Hometown: Springfield, Illinois
  • Favorite thing about Auburn University: The people. Coming from so far away, I have noticed that everyone here is so kind and welcoming. It is so easy to find friends and people to get along with here. I am so lucky to be part of the Auburn family!
  • My advice to Auburn University students: Do not be afraid to ask for help in any of your classes. Going to Office Hours may seem time consuming but it is so worth it. There are also so many resources you can use such as Study Partners and SI sessions if you find yourself struggling.
  • Study Tip: Read! Reading the material professors recommend is essential to doing well in class. It is super important to stay caught up on the reading so you better understand each lecture.
  • My favorite lunch spots: Chicken Salad Chick
Aubie at teaching at a whiteboard

Lauren Thoma

(she/her/hers)

Front Desk Representative

  • Hometown: Springfield, IL
  • Favorite thing about Auburn University: My favorite thing about Auburn is the people! You always hear “the Auburn family” and it is certainly true! Everyone here is so kind and is always ready to help you with anything and everything.
  • My advice to Auburn University students: Get involved! There are so many awesome organizations to be apart of here at Auburn and it is so easy to become apart of one. It may seem intimidating, but everyone here is so nice and they make it a great experience.
  • Study tip: Re-write notes and use diagrams! Seeing the information in a diagram helps me get a visual rather than memorizing paragraphs. Also, re-writing notes is certainly beneficial because it makes it easier to recall information when it comes time for a test or quiz.
  • My favorite lunch spots: My favorite lunch spots are Hamilton’s, Moe’s BBQ, and Taco Mama!